The Golden State Warriors are one of numerous team that could be looking to bolster their center rotation this offseason, with the Draymond Green's starting small-ball role clearly untenable over the course of an entire regular season.
Fortunately for the Warriors, one of the bigger names on the free agency market is set to become available. The latest out of Milwaukee suggests the franchise is done with the veteran center, potentially gifting Golden State the veteran stretch big they desperately need.
Brook Lopez is expected to leave the Milwaukee Bucks
Much of the focus at the Bucks still surrounds the uncertain future of 2x MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the destiny for Lopez seems much clearer according to Matt Moore of Action Sports Network on Monday.
"I'm not expecting the roster to look the way it does now. The team is likely to retain Kevin Porter Jr. and most everyone I’ve spoken to assumes Brook Lopez is gone," Moore wrote.
While Lopez's departure from Milwaukee is the first step of the puzzle if the Warriors are interested in the 37-year-old, they're still likely to have plenty of challenges in trying to secure his services as an unrestricted free agenct.
A reunion between Lopez and the Los Angeles Lakers has been floated for weeks given their even more dire need for a new big man. The Detroit Pistons could theoretically have interest based on recent reports detailing their wish for another center, while the Houston Rockets tried desperately to sign Lopez two years ago before he re-signed with the Bucks.
Lopez quickly emerged as a potential free agency target in the wake of Golden State's playoff elimination, with ESPN's Bobby Marks pondering what it would take for the franchise to sign the 2021 NBA champion.
After concluding a two-year, $48 million deal with the Bucks, it's likely Lopez will see significantly less and may have reached a point where he prioritizes a significant role within a championship-contending team.
It's those elements that could make the Warriors a strong fit, with the need for a starting-calibre stretch five perhaps giving the 17-year veteran the security he wouldn't necessarily get at too many other places.
Lopez averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 blocks per game this season, shooting 50.9% from the floor and 37.3% from 3-point range. The 7'1" big man struggled in the first-round series loss to the Indiana Pacers, averaging just five points in less than 15 minutes per game which included being benched in Milwaukee's Game 5 defeat.