Milwaukee Bucks: 3 free agent big men to target before 2021-22 season
By Dalton Sell
3 big men the Milwaukee Bucks should target — Marc Gasol
Bucks fans may hold some animosity toward Marc Gasol after the 2019 East Finals, but he could be an entertainable option to help fix their center depth predicament.
First and foremost, this will not be the Gasol of old. At 36-years-old, the big man is far removed from the All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year days of his career. In fact, he is coming off the worst statistical season of his career after averaging just five points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in a career-low 19.1 minutes per contest. The Los Angeles Lakers practically benched him last year and parted ways with him after their playoff run. While Marc Stein recently reported that Gasol will likely play overseas next, speculation will continue to exist until he makes that commitment.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (subscription required) recently reported that Gasol had drawn some interest from the Golden State Warriors, and perhaps the Bucks make a run at him too. He would be a quality veteran to give the team a household name in the second unit. Skill-wise, Gasol will not bring much scoring to the table, but he is a fantastic passer for a big man. He can also shoot it from the outside, having knocked down 36 percent of the tripes in his career. Defensively, he is a step slower than he once was, but he still managed to average 1.1 blocks per game last season.
For a team that is looking to bring on some size, Gasol would be a solid option. Perhaps Marc could follow in his older brother Pau Gasol’s footsteps and sign with the Bucks in the latter stage of his career. Fans tend to forget that the older Gasol actually played for the Bucks back in the 2018-19 season, but understandably so as he appeared in just three games. Maybe Marc could play a more pivotal role for the Bucks if he were to join.