Myles Turner, Brook Lopez’s Top Free-Agent Landing Spots After 2025 NBA Draft
The NBA calendar moves quickly, especially this time of year.
No sooner had the first round of the 2025 draft reached its conclusion than our attention was already pulled to the offseason activity ahead. And while the bulk of this summer's interest revolves around the trade market, there are some interesting free agents available.
We'll spotlight two of the best bigs on the market here while identifying potential landing spots for both Myles Turner and Brook Lopez.
Myles Turner
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This was, by and large, a typical season for Turner. That said, the atypical success of the Pacers (first 50-win season in over a decade, first Finals trip in 25 years) allowed his impact to become more obvious and appreciated.
He may not score like a star or rebound the way you'd hope a 6'11", 250-pound center would, but his blend of paint protection and perimeter shooting is an invaluable luxury in the modern NBA. He's the backbone of a defense and a space-creator on offense. He's also never been better with the latter, having set career-highs in three-point makes (2.2 per game) and three-point percentage (39.6).
If he goes looking for landing spots outside of the Circle City—and he very well may not—he won't have trouble drumming up interest.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers made Turner the 11th pick of the 2015 draft and have essentially kept him manning the middle ever since. And while they sometimes let trade talks around him get a little too close for comfort, they never actually sent him anywhere. They might as committed to him as ever, in fact, as they just entrusted him with the third-most minutes of his career (30.2).
Indiana can offer comfort, an obvious fit with the coaching staff and clear chemistry with this roster. Not to mention, a massive mountain of cash, assuming the Pacers are actually OK with paying the luxury tax. He can still look elsewhere if he wants, but he clearly doesn't have to go anywhere.
Detroit Pistons
While the Pistons just made their playoff return after a five-year absence, they might already be eager to take the next step. Remember, Cade Cunningham isn't simply an established star right now, he's also about to start getting paid like one. They should be looking to win big with him sooner than later.
Turner could clearly help with that. Center may not be a problem position in Detroit, but adding a stretch big like Turner could alleviate some of the spacing concerns connected to the Pistons' young wings. And if Cunningham can contribute 26.1 points and 9.1 assists a night in a congested offense, the imagination runs wild when thinking what he might be able to do with more breathing room.
Golden State Warriors
Figuring out Turner's potential fit in Golden State is easy. The Warriors obviously feel a stretch 5 can help maximize their roster, and they'd presumably prefer one without as many defensive deficiencies as Quinten Post. Turner would be all-caps AWESOME on this team. Coach Steve Kerr might coax even more three-point splashes out of the big fella.
The challenge would be getting Turner to Golden State, as the Warriors don't have the flexibility to sign him outright. If he decides he wants to join the Dubs, though, maybe there's a sign-and-trade agreement to be worked out involving restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Brook Lopez
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In what felt like Lopez's final season in Milwaukee, he gave the Bucks a lot of the same things he always since joining them in 2018. He was accurate from the three-point arc, reliable as a rim defender and kind of a non-factor in most other areas.
While he's playing out the twilight of his career, he still looks capable of holding down a center job for someone with win-now intentions. None of his 2024-25 stats jumped off the page, but suitors will still take notice of the fact he averaged 1.9 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers on 37.3 percent shooting.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers, as you may have a heard, need to add a center this summer. While they're most often connected to the rim-running types who could feast on lob passes from Luka Dončić, they could also see value in opening up the offensive end by bringing the sweet-shooting Lopez back to Hollywood.
What they'd probably like even more from the one-time Laker is his ability to clean up mistakes on the defense's back line. Assuming L.A. keeps Austin Reaves around, it figures to have more than its share of defensive breakdowns in the backcourt.
Golden State Warriors
The same things that could draw the Warriors to Turner could also have them eyeing Lopez, who has a more realistic shot of landing within their price range. He wouldn't be as impactful, obviously, but the 37-year-old still offers an intriguing mix of long-range shooting and close-range defending.
While he's not versatile on the defensive end, he's still a disruptive presence around the rim. And his outside attack is aging like wine. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, he has averaged 1.8 three-pointers on 37.1 percent shooting.
Orlando Magic
The Magic may not need a center, but they could still go after Lopez anyway. They're clearly looking to climb the ladder in the Eastern Conference based on what they gave up to get Desmond Bane. They're also likely fully aware that the blockbuster deal for Bane alone won't solve their shooting shortage.
Three of the four non-center spots in Orlando's starting lineup are still filled by streaky-at-best shooters in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. The Magic should be thinking about adding a floor-spacing 5 like Lopez, even if that would require trading away an incumbent big man first.
