2019 NBA free agency: 5 potential landing spots for Brook Lopez
By Simon Smith
5. Sacramento Kings
Like the Bucks, the Sacramento Kings took enormous steps forward last season. Jumping from 27 wins to 39, the Kings were led primarily by a young nucleus of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Held and Marvin Bagley III. So while the 31-year-old might not fit perfectly with the timeline of this trio, his overall game would serve as a terrific complement.
With incumbent starting center Willie Cauley-Stein having recently announced his desire to find a new home as a free agent, Lopez’s addition would come at an ideal time. The Kings are coming off a season in which they finished 21st in defensive rating, with Cauley-Stein averaging just 0.6 blocks in his 27.3 minutes per game.
https://twitter.com/JandersonSacBee/status/1142622481762570241
In contrast, Lopez is fresh off averaging a career-high 2.2 blocks per game, which featured 17 games of at least four blocked shots. Considering Lopez was an integral part of a Bucks team that led the league with a 104.9 defensive rating, his inclusion would do wonders for the Kings.
Another part of the equation for Lopez would be reacquainting with head coach Luke Walton. While he somewhat stunted Lopez in his sole season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Walton has firsthand knowledge of the attributes he brings to the table, and would’ve undoubtedly taken note of his success with the Bucks.
With an abundance of salary cap space, the Kings could realistically offer Lopez significantly more than the Bucks and other interested teams could afford.