Milwaukee Bucks add to coaching staff, reportedly hire Josh Oppenheimer as assistant coach
According to a report from ESPN, the Milwaukee Bucks have re-hired and added Josh Oppenheimer to the team’s coaching staff under Mike Budenholzer.
Change is reportedly coming to the Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching staff.
First reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bucks have hired assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer to further bolster their coaching staff around head coach Mike Budenholzer.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
As Wojnarowski refered to and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Matt Velazquez touched on upon confirming Woj’s report moments later, this will mark a return for Oppenheimer as he previously was in Milwaukee from 2013 to 2016.
Working under both Larry Drew and Jason Kidd, Oppenheimer served as a skill development coach and was the Bucks “shot doctor” of sorts early in on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career and Khris Middleton as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Charles F. Gardner wrote about back in March of 2014.
In the time since leaving the Bucks in 2016, Oppenheimer has held assistant positions with the Houston Rockets in Mike D’Antoni’s first year, the Long Island Nets in the G League and most recently, at James Madison University.
Could Oppenheimer’s return to Milwaukee Bucks point to further changes for Mike Budenholzer’s staff?
Clearly, some members of the Bucks’ coaching staff have been potential targets to land elsewhere around the league over this coaching carousel. Bucks lead assistant coach Darvin Ham had been up for head coaching jobs this fall, whether it was with the Chicago Bulls or the Indiana Pacers, before they respectively filled them over the last few weeks.
But those changes may not be limited to promotions. Earlier this week, there was a report that Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee is being considered to join new New Orleans Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy’s staff after van Gundy returned to the coaching ranks.
Whether Lee will end up departing Milwaukee remains to be seen, but one can only wonder that Oppenheimer’s return may serve as Lee’s replacement on the Bucks’ coaching staff. Of course, that’s only speculation and it’s important to note that there is no limit to how big or small a team’s coaching staff may be.
dark. Next. 3 biggest risks in a Victor Oladipo trade
Again, Lee’s situation is worth monitoring to see if there will be further changes to the Bucks’ coaching staff. For now, a welcome back for Oppenheimer is deserved at this point in time and I’m sure like many Bucks players and coaches, he’ll be eager to contribute what will hopefully be a championship season for the Bucks in 2021.