Why Brook Lopez Affected Rockets Free Agency So Much

The Houston Rockets were the favorites to sign Brook Lopez from the Milwaukee Bucks. But the fact that they didn't sign him led to several different conclusions.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 28, 2023

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets had a wacky free agency as the team with the most cap space in the NBA.

Their position atop the cap space leaderboard had every top free agent linked to them, including Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, who nearly agreed to a deal with the Rockets.

However, he opted to stick with his original Milwaukee Bucks team as they compete for a championship again in 2024. However, Lopez's decision to not come to Houston set off a domino effect for the rest of the Rockets' free agency run.

"Houston thought they really had a strong chance to get Lopez," HoopsHype said. "Brooks ended up getting more money. Jeff Green originally agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal. Then, once the Lopez talks fell through, there was a follow-up conversation after the initial agreement and a scenario where it was pitched that he could do a longer deal (two years, $16 million), and that’s how he ended up getting a little bit more money on the front end."

Not only did Lopez's deal falling through affect the rest of the Rockets' free agency, but it also shakes up the makeup of the team. Without Lopez in the depth chart, the team signed Jock Landale to a contract to backup Alperen Sengun, who appears to be the sure-fire starter.

Sengun started last year and flashed major potential as a playmaking center, but struggles slightly on the defensive end. That's why Lopez made sense for the Rockets. However, Sengun has a higher ceiling on offense and can develop his defense along the way.

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Published Jul 28, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.