The Los Angeles Lakers moved on from many players from last year’s 35-47 roster, but the one that surprised people the most is when they did not re-sign center Brook Lopez.

Lopez played a significant role on last year’s team, and since it was clear his three-point shooting ability would be highlighted by the addition of LeBron James, it felt inevitable that he would be re-signed.

After some time though, it was clear the Lakers were ready to move on from Lopez, so he signed a one-year contract the Milwaukee Bucks, where he has thrived. As the Lakers have struggled to shoot from deep, it’s added more curiosity to their decision last summer.

It seems that even Lopez was surprised by the Lakers’ lack of eagerness to re-sign him, as he wanted to remain with the team and was sure the interest was mutual. But at the end of the day, Lopez knows he’s in the best situation for him, via “The Lowe Post,” hosted by ESPN’s Zach Lowe:

“I was a little surprised. It just didn’t end up working out. It kind of went in one direction pretty quickly. From that point, I was looking at other options. … I mean, I would have wanted to play there. But that being said, I’m happy that this worked out the way it did because it’s the best situation possible. Even comparable to playing there this season. Far and away, this season in Milwaukee has gone so well. The group we have here, the players, the staff, and the opportunity to do some big things. It’s such a great situation to be in.”

While Lopez could have done very well with the Lakers, it’s clear that his fit with the Bucks is perfect. Milwaukee holds the best record in the NBA, and Lopez has been among their players who have helped space the floor around MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Lopez is averaging 12.1 points and 2.4 made 3-pointers per game, and shooting 36.1 percent from deep.

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