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Milwaukee Bucks Waive DeMarcus Cousins

By Harrison Carter

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 03: DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Saddiq Bey #41 of the Detroit Pistons during the first half of a game at Fiserv Forum on January 03, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 03: DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Saddiq Bey #41 of the Detroit Pistons during the first half of a game at Fiserv Forum on January 03, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly decided to waive center DeMarcus Cousins, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The deadline for non-guaranteed contracts to become guaranteed is this Friday, and General Manager Jon Horst made the decision to not sign Cousins to a veteran minimum contract for the rest of the season. In 17 games with the Bucks, Cousins averaged 9.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.

This decision comes as a shock to many, as Cousins certainly out performed his projected value from the time he was signed. While Cousins has struggled defensively, specifically on pick-and-rolls and switching, Cousins did provide jolts of offense that were much needed. Although Cousins could not find his stroke from behind the three-point line, shooting only shooting 27.1 percent, Cousins has shot a career high 60 percent on two-point field goals.

What is the reasoning for the Milwaukee Bucks waiving Cousins?

The only reasoning that I can think of for waiving Cousins is to clear a roster spot for a potential trade. The problem for the Bucks is that the salaries that they have on the roster would not match up with any potential big man they may be interested in.

Horst has this to say to ESPN about the move:

"“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.”"

The truth is I do not think the Bucks can afford playing small ball with Bobby Portis, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Luke Kornet, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only active players over 6’10 on the roster while Brook Lopez recovers from his back surgery.

Cousins was never going to see significant playoff time, but there was definite value is having him play for short spurts in the regular season. Unless Horst has a quick fix to the position, the Milwaukee Bucks will be playing very small for the remainder of the regular season.

Although waiving a fan favorite who was fairly productive is a confusing move for the time being, Jon Horst has been an extremely successful executive who has shown he can make smart decisions and form a championship caliber team. Whether or not Horst has something up his sleeve is yet to be seen.

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