Bucks plan to target Tyson Chandler or Brook Lopez this summer

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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The Milwaukee Bucks had a surprisingly good season, winning 41 games and a playoff appearance. Despite getting knocked out of the first round by the Chicago Bulls, it was still great to see a young and upcoming team make it that far when one year ago they had the worst record in the league.

With Giannis Antetokunmpo, Khris Middleton Michael Carter-Williams, John Henson and Jarbari Parker, they have a really nice young group of players to build around. The problem with them is that they need to find a big man that can defend down low. Yesterday, the Bucks traded away Ersan Ilyasova to the Pistons in exchange for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. With the trade the Bucks freed up a lot of cap space with Ilyasova’s remaining three year deal and in returned received two players with non-guranteed contracts. Assuming that they waive both player, Milwaukee will have a lot of cash to spend this summer. Mark Stein of ESPN stated that they will most likely go after a center:

League sources say the Bucks want a proven center in free agency if they can score one, and have pinpointed two kinds of former All-Stars — Dallas’ Tyson Chandler and Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez — as targets for the top of their wish list.

Brook Lopez, 27, has recently been struggling with injuries and found himself in-and-out of the starting lineup for the Brooklyn Nets. The one time All-Star is a great offensive center with a nice jump shot and can give you 20 a night.

Tyson Chandler, 32, has a reputation as being a huge defensive presence down low. While he may not give you the offensive firepower Lopez has, Chandler’s 7’1″ height can make defenders second thoughts about driving into the lane.

Head coach Jason Kidd has experience with both players. When he was playing in the league, he was teammates with Chandler in both New York and Dallas. He then went to coach Brook Lopez and Brooklyn Nets in the 2013-2014 season. As far as which center they should go after, these are two completely different types of playing styles. Chandler is more of a defensive presence while Lopez is an offensive firepower. While Lopez is the younger player I would lean more towards going after Chandler because the Bucks have lacked a defensive big man ever since Larry Sanders left the team. However the Bucks’ main priority is to re-sign Khris Middleton, who is a free agent this simmer. Pair him up with Tyson Chandler and that young core stated above, they could surprise us again and become a higher seed in the East.

@FonzyDeFalco

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