The Golden State Warriors once had the 'Splash Brothers', this season added the 'Splash Buddy', and now could be looking to acquire 'Splash Mountain' this summer.
Yes, the Warriors have already been linked to veteran big man Brook Lopez in the wake of their playoff elimination against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Wednesday night.
After a disappointing end to his year with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lopez is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason where Golden State could have interest according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
"I think the one name to keep an eye on regarding that center position is Brook Lopez. Stanford grad, makes his home in Fresno," Marks said during NBA Today on Thursday. "What is the number on a Brook Lopez-type contract if you can get him on a one year flyer here to patch up that center position."
Could the Warriors get one more good year from Brook Lopez?
Lopez is a player that's made plenty of sense for the Warriors in the past. His status as a three-and-D center is something the franchise has long been missing, and would previously have made for a great combination alongside Draymond Green at the four-five spots.
The problem now is that Lopez is a shadow of his former self, having shown real signs of decline on the defensive side of the floor. He did finish second in Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 2.5 blocks per game in 2022-23, but the Bucks have dropped from fourth to 19th and 12th in defensive rating over the past two seasons.
His form in the playoffs was even more worrying, having shot just 26.7% from 3-point range while averaging just five points per game. Lopez was removed from the starting lineup in Milwaukee's elimination loss to the Indiana Pacers in the first-round -- the first time he'd come off the bench in a game for over three years.
At 37-years-old, there's now question marks on what he can truly offer a contending team, but it's those concerns that may also make Lopez available for Golden State in free agency. He's expected to see a significant cut on the $48 million he's made with the Bucks over the last two seasons, with the Warriors potentially having use of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million) this summer.
Golden State could certainly offer a prominent role to Lopez, with ESPN's Shams Charania reporting that the franchise could target a center given the limited output of Kevon Looney and youngsters Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post.
Whether Lopez is the answer remains to be seen, with the Warriors certainly needing to do their due diligence on deciding whether the 17-year veteran can still be a starting-calibre player heading into next season.