According to a report from ESPN, Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Josh Longstaff is joining the Chicago Bulls’ coaching staff under Billy Donovan.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching staff is going to look a little different for the 2020-21 NBA season.
First reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski Monday morning, Bucks assistant coach Josh Longstaff is heading down I-94 and joining the Chicago Bulls’ coaching staff under new head coach Billy Donovan.
More from Bucks Rumors
- Bucks’ Thanasis Antetokounmpo reveals he nearly joined a different team
- NBA Rumors: Bucks eyeing young combo guard with one roster spot left
- NBA Rumors: Bucks attended a workout for former first round draft pick
- NBA Free Agency Rumors: Milwaukee Bucks targeting sharpshooting wing
- Important Milwaukee Bucks’ rumors on day 2 of 2023 NBA Free Agency
Longstaff’s departure comes on the heels of the Bucks bringing back assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer late last month, who had been in Milwaukee from 2013 to 2016.
Longstaff was one of the many original assistant coaches that head coach Mike Budenholzer brought with him upon his arrival to Milwaukee back in the summer of 2018 after finishing up his five-year stint with the Atlanta Hawks.
At the time, Longstaff had been the head coach of the Hawks’ G League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks, where he led them to a 28-22 record and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Before that, Longstaff had logged stints with the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder since entering the NBA coaching ranks more than a decade ago.
Could there be further changes coming to the Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching staff under head coach Mike Budenholzer?
Of course, the attention of all Bucks fans has been focused on the team’s roster going into this critical offseason and for obvious reasons, given the uncertainty surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s long-term future in Milwaukee.
While that attention hasn’t exactly been focused on the team’s coaching staff, change has clearly been afoot this offseason and more could be on the way. Lead Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham has been a popular candidate on the coaching carousel this offseason, but now one head coaching vacancy remains in the league, that being in Oklahoma City. It’s not yet been reported whether Ham has been interviewed for the job.
Along with that, speculation surrounds fellow Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee after he was linked as a candidate to join the New Orleans’ coaching staff under new head coach Stan Van Gundy.
With Oppenheimer already confirmed to be on his way back to Milwaukee and potentially a spot or two to fill, depending on further changes both incoming and outgoing, the bench around Budenholzer is going to look more differently than we’ve seen so far in his tenure. Even after they had to address the departure of Taylor Jenkins last offseason with the addition of veteran assistant coach Chad Forcier.
Whether it’s any news and rumors regarding the Bucks’ roster, coaching staff, draft pick and so much more this offseason, we’ll stay tuned to any further changes that may be coming down the line in Milwaukee.