Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks future will dominate the offseason. Right now, though, as the specter of summer turmoil looms, the Bucks have already begun addressing the other elephant in the room. With Doc Rivers stepping down, they need a new head coach.
General manager Jon Horst wasted little time commencing the search, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required).
"League sources say he has already initiated outreach to representatives of various coaching candidates to launch the Bucks' search for Rivers' successor in earnest."
Maybe considering a more thorough pool of candidates will yield better results this time around.Â
Bucks expanding the hunt beyond obvious candidates
Recent rumors indicate that current Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins are leaders in the clubhouse to land the job. While the latter could be a strong candidate, hopefully Horst continues combing through his options before making a decision.Â
That's not how the hiring process went last time. The Bucks installed Rivers without much deliberation, helping to entrench the team in an unproductive, ultimately toxic culture for the next two-and-a-half seasons.Â
Of course, that was a different situation. Milwaukee dismissed Adrian Griffin 43 games into the 2023-24 season, leaving them in need of a hasty replacement. The Bucks can employ a more leisurely approach ahead of this summer, by which time they should have a new hire at the helm.
Based on Stein's report, Horst appears to be off to a robust start. Perhaps ownership will allow him to make his own choice, without stepping in to select a doomed candidate instead.Â
Milwaukee must go younger to match growing NBA trend
One thing the Bucks must do is find a younger HC. Rivers is 64. He was 62 when they hired him. Gone are the days of bringing in the grizzled guru to safely pilot the ship ashore.Â
A youth movement has overtaken head-coaching hires across the league. Joe Mazzula in Boston (37). Mark Daigneault in Oklahoma City (41). Mitch Johnson, the successor of Greg Popovich, for the Spurs (39).Â
Older coaches, like Rick Carlisle in Indiana and Steve Kerr in Golden State, have held their current jobs for a while now. Carlisle, 66, was the only coach older than Rivers, and he's been with the Pacers for five seasons.Â
That trend isn't just some ageist trivia. Teams are going younger, plugging in coaches who can connect with players and hold them accountable at the same time, and it's been working. At least in Rivers' case, this much is clear: the modern game has passed him by. Retirement is on the horizon.Â
It's worth noting, of course, that Griffin was only 49 when the Bucks hired him. Needless to say, age isn't the only factor. Breadth of options is important. So is taking time to make the right selection.Â
That said, the Bucks could use some clarity on the coaching front well ahead of the Giannis drama that will reignite in a few months. Getting an early start on the search is a good idea.
Add us as a preferred source on Google