The Houston Rockets got their free agency deal done with guard target Fred VanVleet, but they didn’t have the same luck with Milwaukee big man Brook Lopez, who is re-signing with the Bucks.
Known for his combination of rim protection on defense and range shooting on offense, Lopez is staying in Milwaukee on a two-year, $48-million deal. Perhaps not coincidentally, that approximate figure of $24 million in annual value matches up almost identically to Houston’s remaining financial space beneath the NBA’s 2023-24 salary cap after agreeing to Friday’s deal with VanVleet.
In short, it would appear that Lopez, 35, leveraged his interest from the Rockets into a larger deal to stay with a contender in Milwaukee. Prior to Houston’s interest, Milwaukee reportedly wasn’t offering a contract anywhere near that rich in terms of annual value.
Dating back to his introductory press conference, new Rockets coach Ime Udoka has mentioned wanting to add “different types of bigs” to the roster to complement Alperen Sengun. That would seemingly point to a need to find a center offering rim protection and defense, criteria that Lopez would have certainly met.
It’s unclear who the next big-man targets in free agency will be for general manager Rafael Stone, or if he might potentially turn to the trade market (Clint Capela?) for an alternative solution.
As of Saturday afternoon, here’s a look at immediate reaction to the news and its implications for Stone and the Rockets.
Reaction to Brook Lopez spurning Rockets
Bucks retain their two cornerstones — Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton — in free agency. Massive for Milwaukee in a market that included a similar lucrative offer for Lopez from Houston. https://t.co/r2BEWGkHRX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2023
Looks like the Rockets plan only came to fruition halfway — they clearly drove the price up on Milwaukee.
It now becomes interesting to see where Houston turns for a big man option. Capela? https://t.co/jkWGFzCE2p
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 1, 2023
Keep an eye on Clint Capela.
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) July 1, 2023
Im not mad at losing out on Lopez, we made the Bucks pay up, we stuck to our price point and we didnt cave on offering an extra year
At the end of the day the Bucks were just more desperate for him#Rockets
— Paulo Alves (@PauloAlvesNBA) July 1, 2023
Possible options I see for Houston’s remaining space (about $24 million):
1. Dillon Brooks ($12-18 million annually)
2. If they insist on pursuing a center, they can trade for Clint Capela into their cap space or by sending out KPJ, Tate, etc… after signing Dillon Brooks
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) July 1, 2023
Looks like the Bucks smartened up unfortunately 😕
— Rob Kimbell (@RobKSports) July 1, 2023
K.J. Martin for Clint Capela works for all involved. Call it in https://t.co/JHGjdWTjY6
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) July 1, 2023
Milwaukee caved. Sucks the #Rockets lost out, but if the Bucks were willing to bid to the same level, he was always going to stay https://t.co/KP8WakR5OW
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 1, 2023
