The Milwaukee Bucks’ pursuit of former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer has picked up further with key players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton reportedly meeting with the coaching candidate on Wednesday morning.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ search for their next head coach has certainly reached a critical stage over the last couple of days.
Firstly, ownership were reported as joining the process to interview the likes of Mike Budenholzer and Ettore Messina for a second time on Tuesday in New York.
Now, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe relayed earlier this afternoon, Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton met with the 48-year-old Budenholzer over breakfast in Milwaukee this morning.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mike Budenholzer had breakfast today in Milwaukee, league sources say.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 16, 2018
Khris Middleton was also there, I'm told. https://t.co/yf1U3EEoDI
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 16, 2018
Shortly after Lowe’s tweet regarding Antetokounmpo and Middleton’s place in the ongoing process, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shared the following details, spicing up the speculation even further.
Well that’s interesting. I was told there was no plan to bring anyone else in for an interview with the team today (i.e. no new finalists). This seems to point to the Bucks getting closer to something with Budenholzer. https://t.co/SUNFw5QuAi
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) May 16, 2018
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Of course, Budenholzer has been the biggest name of intrigue throughout this whole process, considering the amount of rumblings that have been shared regarding Budenholzer’s interest in the Bucks’ coaching gig and vice versa.
It’s also clear by now that the Bucks aren’t the only team reportedly vying for Budenholzer’s services as the Toronto Raptors have keyed in on him after they fired Dwane Casey late last week.
But the addition of Antetokounmpo and Middleton is definitely an interesting wrinkle in this process. When asked about being included in the team’s coaching search during his exit interview a couple of weeks ago, here’s what Antetokounmpo had to say:
"“Right now, I don’t really want to talk about the coach. I haven’t even talked to my coach right now, I’ve got to go meet with Coach Prunty.That’s a decision that the front office has to take, you know? My job is to get ready for the game and prepare my teammates for the games next season. Whatever decision they make, I hope it can help the team.It’d be nice if I could be involved and know, but yeah, I just want to do the right moves for us to be successful. That’s it. That’s what I care about. And I care about coming back and winning games. That’s it, you know?At the end of the day, you’ve got to draw the line and see the line. You know, can you help me, can you not? Overall, our goal is to be one of the best teams in the East, win a championship. If you can help me, you know, I appreciate you, I interact with you. But if you cannot, there have got to be moves that have to be made. It’s not about being mean to one another, but it’s all about respect, you know?”"
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That also applies to Middleton’s inclusion as well, not least as the six-year swingman will be entering a contract year next season as well.
In any event, the former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach has long appeared as the team’s top target in this process and this latest development does little to change that perception.
Whether the Raptors’ interest in Budenholzer has added a level of urgency in this process is not yet known, but it’s certainly something that may have played a factor in the team’s owners and cornerstones now playing a part in this process.
Considering all of these recent developments, it seems like the Bucks are likely to make a decision on Budenholzer and the rest of their search within the next couple of days.
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We’ll just have to see whether this will be the first breakfast of many for Budenholzer in Milwaukee — perhaps creating the possibility of green eggs and Darvin Ham in the future — or just a one-time deal.