Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are gearing up for the stretch run of the season and feel good about their chances come playoff time. With their two stars and a good amount of depth, Milwaukee believes that they can compete with anyone in the NBA.

But the team does also have to think about the future group of players and they have some interesting free agents this summer. One of which is center Brook Lopez and it could see the veteran big man leave Milwaukee.

In fact, Lopez is already being linked with a team from the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports believes Lopez could be a good option for the Lakers this summer as they search for a big man to pair with their own star players.

“If the Lakers want to go a bit cheaper, Clint Capela and Brook Lopez are more feasible mid-level targets. Capela fits the Doncic-friendly mold of a rim-runner and rim-protector to a tee, but he’s now 30, so he’s likely more of a band-aid than a long-term answer. The same would be true of the 36-year-old Lopez, though obviously he is ground-bound at this point of his career. Having a shooting center is helpful, but it likely isn’t a priority for the Lakers.”

Losing Lopez would hurt the Bucks but he is also 36-years-old. Milwaukee has been looking for an upgrade at center for some time now and it could see Lopez going elsewhere.

It all depends on what type of money Lopez is looking for in free agency. If the price is above what the Bucks are comfortable paying him, it could see the two split up.

Lopez gives this team a floor-spacing big who has developed strong chemistry with the other players on the roster. The former All-Star is also a veteran presence in the locker room so the hope would be to keep him around if possible.

But Lopez would fit in well with the Lakers, paired up alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Lopez played with the Lakers already in his career so the familiarity with the franchise is already there.

It remains to be seen how the free agency of Lopez will play out but he is expected to garner a lot of interest on the open market.