NBA Rumors: Should Bucks Consider Pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo With DeMarcus Cousins This Summer?
All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins may no longer be expected to play in the 2019-20 NBA season, but his NBA career is far from over. In the 2020 NBA offseason, Cousins is once again expected to try his luck, searching for an NBA team that would enable him to rebuild his value while also giving him the opportunity to win his first NBA championship title. Though the 2020 NBA free agency is still far away, several teams have already been rumored to be interested in signing Cousins, including the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks.
In his recent article, Matthew Schmidt of ClutchPoints mentioned the Bucks as one of the best landing spots for Cousins when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Bucks may currently own the best record in the 2019-20 NBA season, but their team is still far from perfect. As Schmidt noted, one of the areas where the Bucks need some “patching up” is the center position.
“Brook Lopez has taken a rather big step back this year, as he hasn’t been quite the three-point marksman he was last season, and while Robin Lopez is a solid backup, he is pretty much just that at this stage: a backup. So why not take a chance on Cousins? Giannis Antetokounmpo could certainly use another scorer alongside of him, and even if Cousins likely won’t ever be the same player again, he will probably be able to get buckets in spurts. Plus, Cousins can space the floor a little bit, which is exactly how Milwaukee builds its offense around Antetokounmpo.”
With Lopez already showing significant signs of slowing down, going after Cousins in the 2020 NBA free agency makes a lot of sense for the Bucks, especially if they could convince him to sign a veteran minimum deal. Cousins may have spent the past years dealing with multiple injuries, but when he is healthy, he is undeniably a much better backup center than Brook’s twin brother, Robin Lopez. Aside from being a reliable scoring option, rebounder, rim protector, and facilitator, Cousins is also capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc.
In his nine years in the NBA, the 29-year-old center averaged 21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.4 steals while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from the three-point range. Having a floor-spacing big man like Cousins would be beneficial for Antetokounmpo as it would make it easier for him to penetrate the opposing team’s defense. Once Cousins regains his All-Star form, he and Antetokounmpo could form the most formidable frontcourt duo in the 2020-21 NBA season.
