In the early stages of their process to hire a new head coach, the Milwaukee Bucks have been linked to Taylor Jenkins and Darvin Ham. It appears their interest in Jenkins is legitimate, with The Athletic's Eric Nehm and Sam Amick (subscription required) reporting that team owners and General Manager Jon Horst flew to Memphis to meet with the former Grizzlies coach to discuss "serious" interest.
Per the two insiders, the Bucks are expected to meet with Jenkins again soon to further discuss the head coaching gig. Milwaukee clearly thinks Jenkins could be a great fit for their opening, given that he will likely meet with the team twice before some candidates get one foot in the door. The question is just how fast they might make a decision.
Bucks clearly have an eye for their former assistant
Milwaukee's interest in Jenkins makes plenty of sense. First, they do have some familiarity with him from his brief stint as one of Mike Budenholzer's assistants in 2018-19. They know him. Second, he does have prior head-coaching experience, leading the charge for the Memphis Grizzlies, who saw some solid success from 2019 to 2025.
Jenkins also fits snugly with whatever direction the Milwaukee Bucks go in this summer. If they trade Giannis Antetokounmpo and focus more on youth, Jenkins has shown he can lead an up-and-coming young squad to success. If the team keeps Giannis, Jenkins has proven he can manage star players and guide them to some playoff success.
It would make plenty of sense if Jenkins asks the Milwaukee Bucks about the direction of the team on the Giannis front before he makes any final decisions.
Bucks should slow down with hiring process
This report reads like Jenkins is the clear frontrunner for the opening. The Bucks seemingly would like to lock up their former assistant before other teams come in and try to lure him away from them once more openings become available this summer. Would the Milwaukee Bucks desperately make Jenkins their next coach this early? Likely not.
NBA insider Jake Fischer (subscription required) has reported that Jon Horst is already forming a list of candidates for the job that features an assortment of different names. No matter how tempting the thought of hiring Jenkins may be, the Milwaukee Bucks need to cast a wide net and evaluate as many candidates as possible before making a decision.
Rushing through a hiring process is how the Bucks ended up with Doc Rivers.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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