Houston suffered tremendous damage from Lopez’s atrocities.
Local media ‘The Athletic’ reported on the 3rd (Korean time), “Brooke Lopez will remain with the Milwaukee Bucks. The contract is worth $48 million over two years.”
Milwaukee took a breather. Chris Middleton, Lopez, and Jae Crowder, who were free agents this offseason, all succeeded in renewing contracts and were able to maintain their power. Milwaukee recorded 58 wins and 24 losses in the 2022-2023 season. This score was the first overall in the NBA. Milwaukee was evaluated as the strongest contender for the championship. However, in the first round, he met the Miami Heat, and was eliminated after a shocking upset by Miami.
Milwaukee saw Lopez and Middleton as free agents, so there were many views that saw it as the last challenge. However, Milwaukee maintained its power by catching both key players.
Unlike Middleton, who had no offers from other teams, Lopez was very popular. The team that has been targeting Lopez most aggressively is Houston.
Houston is trying to appoint head coach Ime Udoka and build a defense-oriented team. Lopez is good at defending behind the basket메이저놀이터, and is a big man who especially represents the dropback defense system. Coach Udoka used Robert Williams III for the Boston Celtics to create the best defensive team in the NBA with a dropback defense. There’s a reason Houston and Udoka strongly want Lopez.
In fact, Lopez and Houston were on the brink of signing. From the 1st, NBA clubs can make a moratorium, or so-called verbal contract, with free agents. Subsequent reports from ‘The Athletic’ suggest that Houston and Lopez have agreed to a verbal agreement.
However, Lopez, who had agreed to a verbal contract, disappeared and was not contacted by the Houston team. And on the 3rd, he renewed his contract with Milwaukee. It was a hard hit in the back of the head from Houston’s point of view.
The problem is that Houston sold a prospect to make room for Lopez. Houston sent Tytai Washington and Usman Garuba to the Atlanta Hawks. This was the decision to sign Lopez. However, the Lopez acquisition fell through, and Houston was able to reverse the trade with Atlanta. Houston didn’t. The reason is that he didn’t want to hurt Atlanta like he did to Lopez.
Washington is the 29th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, and Garuba is the 23rd overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Both players were drafted in the first round and are potential players. It is as if Houston sent a promising player to Atlanta for free.
Houston has acquired Fred VanVleet and Dylan Brooks from the free agent market. It must have been a plan to end the rebuilding at once by recruiting Lopez. However, this plan failed completely due to Lopez’s brutality. It is the most important first season after a new manager has been appointed. Houston will resent Lopez.