DeMarcus Cousins, Bucks Reportedly Agree to 1-Year, Non-Guaranteed Contract

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

DeMarcus Cousins and the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Last year, the 31-year-old averaged 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 12.9 minutes over 16 games for the Los Angeles Clippers, who signed the free agent to an initial 10-day contract on April 5.

He landed a second 10-day contract on April 16 before agreeing to spend the rest of the season with the team on April 26.

The Clips added the 6’10”, 270-pounder for big man depth during Serge Ibaka’s extended time away from the team because of back injuries that plagued him all season and eventually forced him to shut down his campaign.

Cousins gave the versatile Clips another option down low, splitting time with traditional big man Ivica Zubac as well as Nicolas Batum if L.A. decided to go small.

The four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player has played for the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Clippers. He also signed with the Los Angeles Lakers but never took the court for the Purple and Gold after suffering a torn ACL during a preseason workout.

The productive Cousins dominated the hardwood from 2014-2018, averaging 25.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. However, serious injuries (e.g., ruptured left Achilles tendon, a torn left quadriceps and a torn ACL) have kept him off the court for extended periods of time for the last few years.

Cousins’ days of starting and playing 34 minutes per night or so are likely over, but he’s still productive on the court during his short spurts off the bench. That makes him a tremendous asset for any second unit, and the Bucks clearly see the value in bringing him on board.