Should the New Orleans Pelicans Pursue Milwaukee Bucks Star in Blockbuster Trade?

As the New Orleans Pelicans try to become a contender, should they trade for Brook Lopez?

May 2, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) defends during game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into the 2024-25 season, the New Orleans Pelicans are once again looking like a playoff team on paper after a solid offseason. 

The Pelicans made a big splash when they traded for Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. Murray was the center of many rumors throughout the offseason, and it ended up being New Orleans who were able to get a deal done for him. 

With a starting lineup of Murray, C.J. McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson, the Pelicans clearly have a lot of talent in their starting lineup alone. However, they do have a glaring issue at center. 

New Orleans signed Daniel Theis this offseason, and it appears like he is going to be the starting center going into the season. Theis is a fine player in the NBA, but he has never averaged more than 20 minutes per game in a season, as the Pelicans might be asking a lot of him. 

For New Orleans to take the next step forward and truly become a contender in the Western Conference, they will likely have to address the center position. 

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently spoke about Brook Lopez being a good fit in addition to Myles Turner. 

“Lopez is significantly older than Turner (36) but he's still a better defender who made 36.6 percent of his threes last season. Retirement likely isn't far off, although even getting one or two good years out of Lopez may be enough time for Yves Missi to take over the job.

“A sluggish start may force the Bucks to consider making real changes around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to keep pace in the East. If Lopez becomes available, he'd be a strong fit for the Pels.”

Adding Lopez would be an excellent fit on paper for the Pelicans. While he is nearing the end of his career, Lopez has become an excellent shooter from the center position and has plenty of playoff experience. 

Three-point shooting is going to be something to keep an eye on for the Pelicans this season, as floor spacing appears to be their No.1 issue. Lopez would instantly fix that on the offensive end of the court, as he shot 36.6 percent from beyond the arc last season and hit 1.4 three-pointers per game. 

While the Pelicans would likely jump at the opportunity to add a player like Lopez, they would need the Milwaukee Bucks to play ball in a trade. The Bucks had a very disappointing season last year considering their expectations and another slow start could result in change and potentially make a player like Lopez become available.