NBA Rumors: Former Bucks Center DeMarcus Cousins Expected to Have Interest

Back in November, the Milwaukee Bucks searched for immediate help from a veteran as the team needed reinforcements. Like many NBA teams these days, the Bucks

Back in November, the Milwaukee Bucks searched for immediate help from a veteran as the team needed reinforcements. Like many NBA teams these days, the Bucks utilized the open market for immediate contributors. That's when they landed on signing the four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins, who spent a chunk of his career with the Sacramento Kings, has bounced around the league quite a lot over the last few years. Following stints with the Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans, Cousins looked to link up with contenders and did so by joining the Golden State Warriors in 2018.

Unfortunately for the veteran big man, injuries started becoming a significant issue. After his lone and unsuccessful season with the Warriors, Cousins joined the Los Angeles Lakers. After tearing his ACL before ever debuting for Los Angeles, though, Cousins found himself waived.

Last year, Cousins had two stints on two different teams. He played 25 games with the Houston Rockets and 16 games with the Los Angeles Clippers. As his time with the Clippers was through two ten-day contracts, the veteran big man didn't earn a standard deal when his temporary contract expired.

Cousins never found a new home during this past offseason. But when the Bucks came calling in November, it seemed he would have somewhere to stay for a while. But after 17 games, Milwaukee is ready to move on. 

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.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 6, 2022

On Wednesday night, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Bucks plan to waive Cousins this week. Charania cites "roster flexibility ahead of league-wide contract guarantee date" as the reason why Milwaukee is moving on. 

Would the Sixers Have Interest?

Although Cousins isn't the same player he was in Sacramento, he could still be a solid addition to a team that needs a backup center. 

Per Charania, Cousins is expected to have interest on the open market. The chances of the Philadelphia 76ers being one of those teams is slim, though.

Over the summer, the Sixers replaced Dwight Howard with Andre Drummond to become Joel Embiid's backup. While Drummond isn't a floor-spacing center, he can still score, protect the rim, and dominate getting rebounds.

Cousins might land back on his feet with another NBA contender, but there's a good chance he won't be finding another temporary home in Philadelphia. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.