The Milwaukee Bucks have a glaring hole at the center position just nine games into the 2021-22 NBA season.
This is due to the fact that starting center Brook Lopez has played in just one game thus far as he has battled through back soreness. Having missed the last eight consecutive games, the big man has already missed six more games than he did all of last season. At 33-years-old, soon to be 34, Lopez is not a spring chicken at this stage in his career, and this lingering back soreness is surely an issue that has fans worried. It does not help that Bobby Portis, Milwaukee’s backup five, has also been sidelined for five games this year due to injury. Portis is back now in the rotation now but has struggled to find his footing in his return to action over his four games this season.
These injuries to the frontcourt have forced Giannis Antetokounmpo to play 80 percent of his minutes this season at center. For reference, he played just 12 percent of his minutes at center during the entirety of the 2020-21 regular season. While Antetokounmpo at the five is a solid strategy at times – see several instances in Milwaukee’s title run – it is not sustainable over the course of an 82-game regular season. That is undeniably not a knock on Antetokounmpo, as he continues to have yet another dominant season, but the team could certainly use a true center as they wait on a return for Lopez.
The Milwaukee Bucks are struggling without Brook Lopez this season
While the eye test is enough to come to the conclusion that the Bucks could use another big body down low, the numbers are concrete evidence. Rebounding was a strong suit for the Bucks last year as they hauled in the second-most boards per game, but they have plummeted all the way down to 18th throughout nine games in 2021-22. They have also missed Lopez’s defense on the interior, as they are 16th in opponents’ points in the paint this year, according to NBA.com/stats. For reference, they were third in that department last year, as this team has always focused on protecting the rim at a high level. Without Lopez, that has been a struggle.
These issues have led many to believe that the Bucks should bring in another center to fill the void until Lopez is cleared to return. The team does indeed have an open roster spot, but it seems as if the team might try to keep that open for the time being, considering their financial situation. Still, if there were ever a time to utilize that spot, it would be while Lopez is sidelined with no timetable to return for the champs. There would be some financial hoops to leap through for the Bucks, but GM Jon Horst has shown in the past that he is always looking for ways to improve this roster by any means. Adding a solid center would fall into that category.
With all that being said, let us look at five free agents they should at least consider taking a look at as this problem at the center position persists.
The Milwaukee Bucks should consider signing free agent John Henson
The Bucks need some size, and the first place they would likely turn is someone that has a sense of familiarity with the organization. Enter John Henson, who had spent the first eight seasons of his career in Milwaukee from 2012-19 and also played with Cleveland and Detroit. Henson was most recently with the New York Knicks on a 10-day contract back in April, but he never saw any action with the franchise and is currently available on the free agent market.
Aside from the familiarity, the appeal with Henson is obvious. The 6-foot-9 big man would give the team more size in the frontcourt while providing some solid two-way play. Henson never stuffed the stat sheet on the offensive end, but his patterned hook shot is something that fans will remember clearly. Henson’s appeal largely comes on the defensive end, where he had been a great rim protector for the Bucks. During his seven seasons in Milwaukee, the big man averaged 1.5 blocks per contest, and the team could surely use some of that defense down low.
At 30-years-old, Henson still has some basketball life left in him. The Bucks would not be asking him to return and play a massive role for them nightly, just someone to give them an added boost at the center position while playing defense and grabbing rebounds. Due to the circumstances at hand, it would be welcoming to see Henson back where he started his career.
The Milwaukee Bucks should consider signing free agent Bismack Biyombo
Another solid option for the Bucks would be Bismack Biyombo, who is surprisingly still unsigned. The veteran recently turned 29-years-old, and he can surely still help a team like Milwaukee that is desperately lacking able bodies at the center position right now.
Offensively, Biyombo has always been limited, as he has averaged 5.1 points per game over his 10-year NBA career. Still, the team would not hypothetically sign the big man to score the ball but to shore up their size with someone that can protect the rim and snatch boards. He checks both of those boxes, holding career averages of 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Although Biyombo is a tad undersized at 6-foot-8, he has the weight at a hefty 255 pounds to battle with the best of them down low. He has never let his height deter him from two of the areas that the Bucks are hurting in right now.
All things considered, Biyombo might be the best bet out of anyone on this list. He is still young, has always been a solid rotation player, and would improve the team’s rebounding and blocking numbers. Signing him would be a low-risk, high reward for the defending champions. They should genuinely consider giving him a call before these issues spiral out of control further with no return in sight for Lopez at this point in time.
The Milwaukee Bucks should consider signing free agent Jahlil Okafor
After being selected third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2015 NBA Draft, things never quite panned out for Jahlil Okafor. The big man has bounced around the league over the past few years and was most recently let go by the Atlanta Hawks after a training camp stint. With Okafor available, the Bucks could possibly check in on him.
Excluding his first two years with the 76ers, Okafor has averaged 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for an array of franchises. Numbers like that would obviously not change life for the Bucks, but they would be solid enough for a team lacking size at the moment. The former lottery pick could come off the bench and try to prove his place in the NBA after a rough few seasons. Okafor is still just 25-years-old, which is crazy to think about, and he could be deserving of another shot in the NBA. The Bucks could make sense as a team to give it to him.
Okafor would be a low-risk move for the team that would be feasible. Standing at 6-foot-10 and weighing in at a hulking 270 pounds, he would provide another big body to put down low to shield the hoop and haul in boards. Okafor is far from the gaudiest name available, but he is a reasonable candidate worth considering for the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks.
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.
The Milwaukee Bucks should consider signing free agent DeMarcus Cousins
When it comes to potential options at the center position for the Bucks, it seems like the name that continues surfacing the most is DeMarcus Cousins. The big man was once considered the best center in the association, but injuries have derailed his career entirely to the point where Cousins is out of the league at this time.
While he might not be the four-time All-Star and dominant force that he once was, Cousins is still just 31-years-old and has more basketball left in him. The center split last year with Houston and Los Angeles, having averaged 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Although it was by far the least productive season of his career, that was understandable as the big man was coming off a brutal ACL injury. The numbers do not jump off the page, but Cousins could jump into the lineup and give the Bucks some meaningful minutes with his toughness and rebounding.
Cousins has never been categorized as a great defender, which could make this a tough sell for the Bucks, given their current holes on that end of the floor. Still, given that he is a household name on the free agent market that could fill a position of need, he would be worth at least taking a flyer on at this point in time. The two-time All-NBA honoree is currently at home waiting for the phone to ring, and a Milwaukee area code making that phone call would make some sense.
Only time will tell if the Milwaukee Bucks ultimately choose to make a move for a center or stand firm and just let things play out as is. Adding one of these five guys would not be the worst idea.