Milwaukee Bucks: 5 free agent centers they should contemplate bringing in
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks should consider signing free agent Marc Gasol
Bucks fans will remember when the team signed Pau Gasol during the 2018-19 season and how he only appeared in three games for the franchise. Well, there is another Gasol on the market now that could use a home in Marc Gasol, and perhaps this signing could pay more dividends than Pau.
After a down year with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21, the 36-year-old Gasol reaffirmed that he would not be retiring and that he would instead begin to explore his next steps. Now, having a sense of concern with the idea of bringing in Gasol is reasonable. The Bucks are in their current big man predicament because of injuries, and bringing in a seasoned veteran that just had the worst season of his career like Gasol might not be the brightest idea. However, the upside is also there, even if he is not the player he once was at this stage in his historically great career.
The former Defensive Player of the Year would add some quality size and experience to the mix to bolster Milwaukee’s defense. He is certainly not as quick as he used to be, but Gasol did average 1.1 blocks per game last season, so there is still some capability for him to protect the rim. He is also a solid rebounder, bringing down 4.1 on average last year. Unlike many of the other potential candidates on this list, Gasol also brings some offense that could be useful. Gasol can handle the basketball a decent amount and make plays for others. The Bucks would certainly not burden him with that too heavily, but they could use his 3-point shooting after knocking down 41 percent on triples last season.
Given his age, the Bucks would not place a heavy workload on Gasol’s shoulders, as there are questions as to how he might hold up. Yet, as they await a return from Lopez, Gasol could be a decent option to come in and give the team minutes at center.