MILWAUKEE — Former Milwaukee Bucks center Robin Lopez has yet to find a new NBA team ahead of the 2024-24 season, which begins with training camp on Oct. 1.
Lopez has played professional baseball for 16 years since beginning his career with the Phoenix Suns in 2008 and is keen to play in Europe.
At Goran Dragic's “Night of the Dragon” farewell game in Slovenia on Saturday (August 24), Lopez was in attendance to support his former Bucks teammate and took a moment to speak to Eurohoops TV. Among other topics, Lopez was asked if he would consider playing overseas to further his basketball career.
“Of course we'll consider it,” Lopez said, “we know how passionate our fans are and how high the level of basketball is.”
Robin Lopez, the twin brother of Bucks starting center Brook, is coming off the worst season in the NBA, averaging 1.1 points, 0.3 assists, 0.3 rebounds and 4.1 minutes per game in 16 games, so it's no surprise he hasn't signed a new NBA contract. Milwaukee traded Robin to the Sacramento Kings before last year's trade deadline. He was waived immediately and has been unemployed ever since.
If he goes ahead and plays in Europe, Lopez will become the second Bucks player to travel overseas for the 2024-25 season.
Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that Patrick Beverley had turned down the NBA's veteran minimum contract to join Israel's professional basketball league, Hapoel Tel Aviv BC. While the change of environment may not be as luxurious as playing in the NBA, it does offer Beverley the opportunity to play a key role as a primary ball-handler.
Without the ability to travel to Europe, Lopez's only option in the United States appears to be to wait for an opportunity to play in the NBA. But he's 36 years old, his minutes and scoring have plummeted over the past three years, and the clock is ticking on his career.
