Getty Billy Donovan
The Chicago Bulls have somehow managed to post the best record in the Eastern Conference at 25-10 despite being size challenged this season.
The team’s starting center Nikola Vucevic has been the lone center active for more than a week while the Bulls wait on his backup Tony Bradley to come off health and safety protocols.
Bradley should be able to return to the lineup on Friday when the Bulls play the Washington Wizards, but a strong case could be made for Chicago adding a veteran big man with a little more scoring potential.
According to Stadium’s Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks are waiving former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.
The Milwaukee Bucks plan to waive center DeMarcus Cousins, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Bucks are opting for roster flexibility ahead of league-wide contract guarantee date Friday. There’s expected to be interest in Cousins as a free agent.
Immediately after Charania’s tweet, a popular Bulls-centric Twitter account called the Arturas Karnisovas Fan Club started campaigning for the team to sign Cousins.
@ShamsCharania @TheAthletic @Stadium Bulls Bulls Bulls
Cousins Had a Strong Run With the Bucks
It seemed things were going pretty well for Cousins in Milwaukee. He posted the following Instagram image just days before the plan to release him was unveiled.
In 17 games with the Bucks, which included 5 starts, Cousins averaged 9.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In one three-game stretch from December 18-23 Cousins averaged 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in his last game with the Bucks against the Toronto Raptors on January 5.
Cousins had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in just 19:46 of playing time. It’s clear Cousins can still play at a decent level. One would argue he’d be an upgrade over Bradley as a backup–especially offensively. However, Bradley is a strong rim protector, and that may be of more value for the Bulls on the second unit.
Cousins Would Add More to the Roster Than Marko Simonovic
The Bulls other big man is raw rookie Marko Simonovic. Chicago has some plans for him in the future, but he’s far too green to help a team with championship aspirations this season.
Cousins’ veteran leadership and skill set seem like a better use of a main roster spot than Simonovic. In a pinch because of injury, foul trouble or some other reason, it would be nice if the Bulls had another legitimate veteran center option they could turn to if Vucevic or Bradley are unavailable.
Also, Simonovic would probably get more value from actually playing with the team’s Windy City Bulls G-League affiliate. He has a better chance of developing with some hands-on experience than he does being a seldom-used reserve at the end of the Bulls’ bench.
Cousins isn’t going to be the missing piece to the Bulls’ championship puzzle, but he could be a valuable addition for the stretch run and perhaps in the playoffs if he sticks with the team.
Still, there has to be some value in bringing him in on a 10-day contract, if at all possible. It seems as if he did enough in his audition with the Bucks to warrant that consideration from the Bulls or another NBA team with a need for a veteran big man.
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