Former All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins plans to sign a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Cousins played for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers last season, but failed to find a suitor for his services this offseason. Now he’ll join the defending champions on a non-guaranteed deal, as the Bucks have been hurting for depth in the front court this season.
The Bucks’ starting center, Brook Lopez, has not played since opening night. The Bucks have now won six games in a row without him, but until he returns to the floor, they remain woefully thin up front. While Giannis Antetokounmpo makes life significantly easier for his teammates, they have still had to stretch Bobby Portis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo into roles bigger than they’d probably like. Before Portis returned, they also had to lean on rookie Sandro Mamukelashvili for some occasional minutes.
Cousins will at least provide experience and stability off their bench. While age and injuries have hampered him significantly on defense, he remains a strong scorer and passer. He can stretch the floor from deep, a necessity next to Giannis, but he can also create his own shot in the post. He averaged 7.8 points per game on almost 54 percent shooting from the field and over 42 percent from behind the arc for the Clippers last season. He had a few strong playoff games against the Suns last season, though at this stage in his career, he is best suited for a minor role.
That’s all the Bucks will ask of him. Portis has played well in Lopez’s stead, so for now, Cousins will only need to fill in as a backup center. When Portis returns to the bench upon Lopez’s return, Cousins could see only spot duty. It’s not the sort of role that helped Cousins become a star in Sacramento, but as he proved with the Clippers last season, he is still capable of contributing to a good team.
