6. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
An argument can be made that no player has done more for their reputation since leaving the Los Angeles Lakers than Brook Lopez. In just one season with the Lakers, Lopez was transformed in the public eye from an All-Star post player into someone who couldn't handle the pace and space of the modern game.
In six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lopez has proven that elite athleticism is by no means an essential characteristic of a championship-caliber starting center.
Lopez has put the notion that he was too slow to play in Los Angeles to bed by earning All-Defense honors in both 2019-20 and 2022-23. He finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the latter season.
Even more significant than his undeniably elite defense is the fact that Lopez started all 23 of the Bucks' playoff games, averaging 29.0 minutes per outing during Milwaukee's championship season.
A key element of Lopez's development into an elite defender and NBA champion is what he was showing signs of becoming in Los Angeles: A legitimate threat from beyond the arc. After burying 112 three-point field goals with the Lakers, Lopez has exceeded 100 in all but two of his six seasons as a Buck.
A dangerous shooter who ranks among the best rim protectors in the NBA, as well as a competent offensive rebounder, Lopez would be a dream fit alongside Anthony Davis.