With how quickly they landed him, it was already clear that the Milwaukee Bucks liked Taylor Jenkins. However, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA only adds another layer to just how much belief they have in him. Per The Athletic's Sam Amick (subscription required), Jenkins will make "north of $10 million annually" with the Bucks. Talk about a stamp of approval.
Jenkins is getting elite level money with Bucks
There are seven coaches making more than $10 million annually in 2025-26. They are Golden State figurehead Steve Kerr ($17.5 million), Miami's Erik Spoelstra ($15 million), LA's Tyronn Lue ($15 million), former Bucks coach Doc Rivers ($11 million), Houston's Ime Udoka ($11 million), Boston's Joe Mazzulla ($11 million), and Indiana's Rick Carlisle ($11 million).
Notice any common trend? Outside of Udoka, all of those coaches have some hardware. Kerr leads the pack with four rings, while Spoelstra has two, and the rest have one. Giving Jenkins comparable money to coaches who have guided teams to the mountaintop shows just how much faith the Bucks have in their new head coach to get them there, too.
The urgency behind the hiring also explains the massive payday. The Milwaukee Bucks clearly wanted Jenkins all for themselves. They didn't want anyone else talking to him. By making him one of the top-paid coaches in the NBA, Jenkins likely felt comfortable bypassing the rest of the teams looking to talk to him this summer and return to Milwaukee, this time as the head coach.
Jenkins can help Bucks reach their lofty goals
While Jenkins does not have any championship hardware to his name, he built up a strong resume in Memphis. After a pair of rough seasons that were essential to building a foundation, Jenkins led the Grizzlies to back-to-back 51-plus-win seasons. He had a chance to get another in 2024-25 but was fired mid-season with a 44-29 record. Some say that firing was far from justifiable.
Now, Jenkins will look to prove that he can replicate—or hopefully surpass—that same success with the Bucks. A new coach alone won't save the franchise, as there are many other moves that need to be under consideration this summer, but it's a nice start. After everything that went wrong during the Doc Rivers era, splurging on a new coach was clearly something everyone was comfortable with.
Time will tell if it pays off, but the Bucks like what they have in Jenkins.
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