3 Bucks Who Won't Return Next Season
Injuries derailed the Milwaukee Bucks this season, and it’s unlikely that bad luck will repeat itself next season.
But the Bucks aren’t getting any younger, and staying healthy typically doesn’t get easier as you age.
Milwaukee is seemingly locked in with its core players -- Giannis Antetokounmpo (29), Damian Lillard (34 in July), Khris Middleton (33 in August), and Brook Lopez (36), but that might not be the case for certain.
After falling to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the first round of the NBA playoffs, here are three players Milwaukee should look into dumping this summer:
1. Brook Lopez
I don’t see how the Bucks can run this team back as-is and expect them to be NBA Finals contenders.
Sure, any team with Giannis and Lillard is dangerous, but relying on an aging roster to stay healthy and also not decline significantly is a risky proposition. That means either Middleton or Lopez has to go.
It's hard to make a case to get rid of Middleton, especially with the way he's been playing during the playoffs this year (24.7 points per game on 48.2% shooting from the field).
Brook Lopez ought to be ashamed of himself. He has zero chance of contesting this shot, and to make things worse, he runs away from rebounding position.
— Dame n Giannis (@DameandGiannis) April 29, 2024
With a lineup of Pat Bev, Bobby, Malik, and Khris out there. Brook HAS to be crashing the glass every time. pic.twitter.com/imYU9XWkls
Lopez is the oldest player in the starting lineup and his skills aren't as much of a necessity as they are a luxury. He's not terrible defensively (68th in the NBA in defensive win shares), but he's been exposed at times in the playoffs and that could be an Achilles heel next season if he declines.
The options on the free-agent market aren't very intriguing, but a younger, defensive-minded player could make a world of difference in the frontcourt.