Milwaukee Bucks: Should Brook Lopez be on the trading block?

Brook Lopez has been invaluable to the Milwaukee Bucks. At the same time, his presence might be keeping them from reaching their full potential.

The Milwaukee Bucks probably don’t earn the league’s top record in each of the last two seasons without the contributions of Brook Lopez.

Though his 3-point percentage dip from a career-high mark of 36.5 percent two seasons ago, his mere presence beyond the arc was enough to pull opposing centers away from the basket. At the other end, nobody protected the rim like the All-Defensive Second Team selection, who forced opponents into shooting 17.2 percent worse within six feet of the bucket.

He is the most important non-All-Star on Milwaukee’s roster, which makes his involvement in any hypothetical trade discussion peculiar. But as the Bucks theorizes ways to improve their title chances, shopping Lopez might be the key to unlocking a style that better positions them to come out on top.

Think of the role Andrew Bogut played for the Golden State Warriors from 2014-16. He was a good starting center, one of the league’s top rim-protectors and an offensive conduit between both sides of the court whose hulking screens freed up many looks for the Splash Brothers.

Yet when it came time for Golden State to surge ahead or close out a game, Bogut was subbed for Andre Iguodala, allowing the Dubs to be their best selves with Draymond Green at center. They were more mobile at both ends.

With slow feet and limited mobility and athleticism, Lopez does not defend the perimeter all that well. So, the Bucks built their defense around that weakness, having the seven-footer drop into the paint on opposing screens and hand-offs to accentuate his elite rim-protection.

It’s a coverage that has worked wonders in his two years with the team. Milwaukee has surrendered 3.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court according to Cleaning The Glass, anchoring the league’s top defense in that span.

Because of Lopez’s limitations, however, the Bucks are beholden to that coverage in ways they shouldn’t be. Not in a playoff setting where the matchup dictates adjustments they’ve failed to make. Nor in ways they have to be in the presence of perhaps the league’s most all-encompassing defensive force.

Giannis Antetokounmpo won Defensive Player of the Year as an elite weakside helper. Imagine the type of schemes his incredible physical traits could derail as the tallest Buck on the court in a switch-everything defense.

The Bucks don’t need to trade Lopez to give Giannis more than 24.0 percent of his minutes at center as they did last season. Having him switch every screen ultimately comes down to Mike Budenholzer tweaking the same principles he used to maximize Lopez to amplify the Greek Freak.

But if Milwaukee is to embrace such a lineup as its go-to choice, what need is there to have so much invested alongside Antetokounmpo in the frontcourt when said investment won’t be finishing out games while other areas of the roster could use improvements?

Lopez is the most talented non-All-Star center in the NBA. The remaining three years on his deal won’t pay him more than $13.9 million a year, a far more manageable number than some of the other potential centers on the trade market like Myles Turner ($18 million) and Nikola Vucevic ($26 million).

More than Eric Bledsoe or a package of Donte DiVincenzo and picks, Lopez has legitimate trade value that should be used to bring back the shot creators Milwaukee sorely lacks — without compromising the floor spacing Lopez brought.

The Boston Celtics seem picky about which centers to potentially chase in a trade. Are Lopez’s two-way contributions entice them enough to try and flip Gordon Hayward? Would the Dallas Mavericks be willing to part with a Seth Curry or Tim Hardaway Jr. to keep Kristaps Porzingis from draining his energy among the tree? Maybe feeling the need for a traditional center, do the Houston Rockets view Lopez as a way to offer size inside without sacrificing their 3-point attack, enough to put Eric Gordon or maybe Robert Covington on the table?

The Bucks would prefer to keep Giannis from assuming the center position full-time for fear of the energy it would drain in what they hope to be a lengthy playoff run. The free-agent pool is plentiful with big men who could be had for the exceptions Milwaukee has to offer. It shouldn’t be hard to convince just one to take up the opportunity to compete for a championship.

Kelly Olynyk is a reliable pick-and-pop big. Aron Baynes is an intimidating inside presence with a newfound 3-point stroke. The fliers for DeMarcus Cousins remain available to take.

None of these bigs would be asked to directly fill Lopez’s shoes, just play the role Bogut did for Golden State. Bogut got only 20.7 minutes a night during the 73-win season, 44th-most among centers. He simply made the Warriors further unbeatable by minimizing the drop-off that came with him in the middle compared to Green.

Milwaukee would be hard-pressed to run back its squad and feel confident about reaching the level needed to get Antetokounmpo to re-sign, which is likely nothing short of a Finals appearance.

They need changes but probably aren’t willing to part with Lopez considering how much he means to what they do on both ends.

What the Bucks do, though, has had them fall short in each of the last two seasons. With a potential Giannis departure looming, a stylistic shift is needed. If Bud can do his part in adapting, Lopez might need to be the sacrificial lamb in an addition-by-subtraction move that spurs it on.