How Darvin Ham helped the Milwaukee Bucks land DeMarcus Cousins

The Milwaukee Bucks will be bringing in big man DeMarcus Cousins to fill their 15th and final roster spot.

It was certainly a surprise to most when it was announced on Sunday that the team planned to sign the veteran to a non-guaranteed deal, but it seems like this is something that the defending champions quietly had in the works for quite some time. The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears recently sat down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews to discuss how Milwaukee’s signing of Cousins came to be, and how assistant coach Darvin Ham seemingly played a key role in the process.

How Darvin Ham helped the Milwaukee Bucks land DeMarcus Cousins

As Spears discussed with Andrews, there were several teams eyeing Cousins recently, including the Denver Nuggets and another unnamed Western Conference team. However, despite interest from other contenders, it was the Bucks that secured Cousins’ signature. Spears highlighted how Ham helped him make that an easier decision after flying out to Cousins and getting to work.

"“What the Bucks did was they flew in Darvin Ham, their assistant coach, couple of their executives, Milt Newton, Ryan Hoover, and worked him out. Darvin Ham wasn’t easy on him. He pushed him. Apparently, Boogie shot well and responded well to the toughness in the workout. and after that, they went to dinner for four hours, talked about Bucks culture, what they needed from him, can he fit in. [Mike] Budenholzer also got on the phone with Boogie, they talked it out, kumbaya. Now he’s signing with the Bucks.”"

This effort from Ham is not surprising, considering he is a former player himself. He knows what it is like to play in this game at a high level, and he wanted to put Cousins to the test. That stature as a tough-minded coach has helped Ham command respect from players in the game today, which is something that ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz previously highlighted in a separate report when talking about how Ham would fit when it came to previous head coaching vacancies.

"“Darvin Ham would command the instant respect of current players with his voice and manner as a hard-nosed NBA vet. He also brings a strong development background as a longtime assistant to Budenholzer, who offers an annual clinic in the art of team building and management.”"

Due to their sheer toughness and hard-nosed mindsets, Ham and Cousins seem like they would get along rather well. It certainly showed in that workout according to Spears, as Ham challenged the four-time All-Star and he reportedly responded well. The Bucks could always use toughness in a locker room that is filled with names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and many more. Cousins should have little to no problem fitting in with this Milwaukee team, and it will certainly not be hard for him to adjust to this Bucks culture and help them in their pursuit of another title.

Only time will tell how Cousins fares in Milwaukee, but the blueprint is there for him to succeed.