Brook Lopez's Past Teams

In the upcoming offseason, few free agents are more sought after than Brook Lopez. And for good reason. Lopez is one of the best rim protectors and 3-point shooters in the league. Lopez epitomizes the definition of ‘3-and-D’ and the 35-year-old center looks to be a pivotal addition to whatever team he ends up signing with. As we look at Lopez’s looming free agency decision, it would be imminent to see how Lopez fared with his past teams and how he can impact his next team in the coming future.

New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets - (2008-2017)

Brook Lopez was drafted by the then-New Jersey Nets with the 10th overall pick in 2008 and played with the Nets for 8 seasons. After coming off the bench in his first game, an injury to the team’s starter forced Lopez into a starting role which he excelled at. Lopez averaged 13.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in his rookie season, leading all rookies in blocks and making the all-rookie first team.

The Nets started a horrendous 0-18 in Lopez’s second season but the sophomore continued to put up a stellar season as he finished the season averaging 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists along with 1.7 blocks a game. Despite improving his play, the Nets finished a torrid 12-70, only 3 wins better than the worst record of all time.

In his third season, Lopez played 82 games again and averaged a career-best 20.4 points. The Nets, however, struggled to improve as they finished the season 24-58 and missed the playoffs yet again.

After 3 full injury-free seasons, the injury bug had caught up to Lopez as he played only 5 games in his fourth season following a right foot fracture he suffered in pre-season. Needless to say, the Nets struggled in his absence and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight time in Lopez’s tenure with the Nets.

After signing a contract extension in July 2012, Lopez’s game leapt. He became a much more solid defender and the Nets started winning and finished the season 49-33, good for the fourth seed in the East. And top off this great season, Lopez was named an all-star after Boston guard Rajon Rondo has the miss the game due to an injury. The Nets were however eliminated in a tough seven-game series against the Chicago Bulls.

The next season brought disappointment again from Brook Lopez as the all-star was ruled out for the remainder of the season after playing just 17 games with a foot injury.

Lopez played for three more seasons with the Nets before the management decided to trade Lopez in 2017 offseason to the Los Angeles Lakers. He finished his tenure with the Nets as the leading points scorer for the franchise.

Los Angeles Lakers - (2017-18)

After being traded to the Lakers in 2017, Lopez played out the last year of his contract there averaging 13 points and 4 rebounds. The Lakers were very poor that season and didn’t make the playoffs. It was at this point that the stigma of ‘not a winning player’ started to follow Brook Lopez.

Milwaukee Bucks (2018-present)

In the 2018 offseason, Brook Lopez signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on a multi-year deal and made an immediate impact. The Bucks which had finished 7th in the Eastern Conference the season before, bolted all the way to the top of the conference. Brook Lopez fit in seamlessly with the Bucks as a ‘3-and-D’ player and continued to exhibit great poise and control in the pressure-filled moments of the playoffs, something the Bucks very much needed.

In his second season with the Bucks, they finished with the best record in the East again but were upset in the second round by the upstart Miami Heat.

In 2021 the Bucks came re-tooled, adding Jrue Holiday, and won the elusive championship, beating the Phoenix Suns in 6 games in the NBA finals.

After missing most of the 2022 season with an injury, Lopez bounced in the 2023 NBA season having one of the best seasons of his career and finishing 2nd in the DPOY voting.

Lopez is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and many teams are reported to be interested in him.