By Jordan Long
The defending NBA Champions Milwaukee Bucks stand at 25-15, 3rd in the Eastern Conference. They are set to take on the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow night. The Bucks decided it was time to let center DeMarcus Cousins go. They will waive him to keep an open roster spot.
Cousins agreed to a 1-year deal with Milwaukee on November 30th. Cousins was expected to be a scorer, shoot from outside, and add depth to the frontcourt. This was going to help him thrive with center Giannis Antetokounmpo, even as a backup.
Cousins appeared in 17 games for the Bucks, averaging 16.9 minutes per game. In those minutes, Cousins produced, scoring 9.1 points per game. From the 3 point line, he was awful. Cousins kept shooting 3’s but they weren’t going in. His 3 point percentage for the Bucks was a disappointing 27.1% but that’s not bad for a center. They don’t usually shoot the 3 pointers.
On defense, he was a key for the Bucks to box out. He was able to box out his man and not allow the opponents to have a rebound to start fast breaks or have second chance opportunities. Cousins averaged 5.8 rebounds per game. It seemed like this was working.
The Bucks, though, had other plans. They are going to let Cousins go to save a roster spot. With players in health and safety protocols due to COVID19, this allows the Bucks to keep a spot open if they need to sign a player for a ten-day contract.
According to ESPN.com, Bucks General Manager Jon Horst said, “We wouldn’t have been able to get through this difficult stretch of the season as successfully as we did without DeMarcus. At the end of the day, we made a strategic decision to have an open roster spot, but there’s nothing that would prevent us from partnering with DeMarcus again down the road. He was so good for us, and hopefully we helped him, too.”
The Bucks plan to waive him meaning Cousins becomes a free agent. Cousins should generate interest, especially from a franchise in a playoff position. Cousins would be bringing in 12 years of NBA experience. Cousins has played in meaningful NBA games including the postseason. Cousins appeared in 15 playoff games that may help a team down the stretch. He could be a player counted on off the bench for the postseason stretch.
Cousins won’t be unemployed long because of his veteran presence. Players like Cousins aren’t usually waived during the season. Wherever he goes, he needs to have more success, maybe even helping a team advance far into the postseason. A championship ring would be the ultimate prize.
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