Even after losing former NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers, theMilwaukee Bucks do not appear to have taken a single step backward. Over the weekend, the Bucks re-signed both Khris Middleton and Brooke Lopez, and signed Brooke’s brother, Robin Lopez, as well.
“We have unfinished business here in Milwaukee. This season was a stepping-stone for me personally and for us as a group. I achieved so many firsts on and off the court: I earned my first All-Star appearance; we made the Eastern Conference finals; I became a father”, Middleton writes in an article for ESPN. “But I am not done. We are not done. The goal wasn’t to reach the Eastern Conference finals — we are on a mission to win a championship. I want to be a part of that mission, which is why I am staying here in Milwaukee for the next five years.”
Middleton, 27, averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game for the Bucks this season as he made his first career NBA All-Star Game appearance. Middleton is a career 39% three-point shooter, and his emergence led to the Bucks agreeing to a five-year, $178 million extension to remain in Wisconsin.
The Bucks also have re-signed starting center, Brooke Lopez, to a four-year, $52 million extension. Through 2016, Lopez only attempted 21 three-pointers in his career. Since 2016, Lopez has shot 1,224 three-pointers – a complete transformation of his game.
The Bucks then signed Lopez’s brother, Robin, as a free agent. Robin has played each of his last three seasons with the Chicago Bulls but saw his playing time decrease noticeably during the 2018-2019 NBA season. Robin has averaged 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game for his career while shooting 53.1% from the field.
While the loss of Brogdon will be felt by the Bucks sooner or later, Milwaukee has done a good job this offseason to keep the majority of their core roster together, poised for another deep playoff run.
