The regular season has only just begun, but the Milwaukee Bucks should already be searching around the league for ways to shake up their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Their 2-7 record is among the worst in the NBA, but it’s abundantly clear the star tandem is not the problem. Considering the front office’s limited cap space flexibility, a one-for-one swap seems the most realistic trade.
Veteran center Brook Lopez is earning a $23 million salary this season, which could bring in some real talent in return. One direction to look is former Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell, who Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer made obvious is available in discussions.
“D’Angelo Russell is going to be on the block and is going to be available as outgoing salary for the Lakers,” Fischer said. “The center spot is a spot that we know Los Angeles has been looking to upgrade and will be looking to upgrade.”
“We mentioned Brook Lopez at the top of this show,” Fischer continued. “He is someone that I was told was on the Lakers’ list of potential center targets. As we said before, Jonas Valanciunas is another name I’d keep an eye on for the future there, and someone that I was told over the summer was on the Lakers internal board of center options.”
Russell is having quite the disappointing start to the season, averaging 12.7 points and 5.4 assists on 40% shooting. However, a change of scenery could be exactly what the 28-year-old needs, with frustration seemingly building between he and coach JJ Redick.
Alternatively, Lopez is steadily declining but fills a needed void for LA. He can still provide respectable interior defense and size despite the regression.