ESPN's Stephen A. Smith caught plenty of attention earlier this week when he said that Doc Rivers, coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, would be retiring after this season. Smith isn't an insider, and none of the people with actual intel have reported anything of the sort, but Bucks reporters still asked Rivers about this rumor Friday.
“No, I’m not getting into that,” Rivers said when asked about retiring. “That’s something that, I think he feels that way, but not for me.”
Doc Rivers retiring would make plenty of sense for everyone
Even before this rumor started swirling, it felt inevitable that Doc Rivers would be out as Milwaukee's coach after the season. The team has had very little success since he came aboard, and this has been his worst effort, with the Bucks in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. If they brought him back after that, it would be a disaster.
If Rivers does indeed retire, he can go out gracefully, agreeing to step away rather than end his NBA coaching career by getting the boot. For the Milwaukee Bucks, Rivers retiring would let them off the hook for the remaining money on his contract. Even if firing Rivers and paying that money might have put them in a better position production-wise, that is likely something they are keeping in mind.
Bucks must get their next coaching hire right if Rivers retires
The Milwaukee Bucks have completely botched their coaching situation since Mike Budenholzer was fired in 2023. Adrian Griffin was a long shot from the very beginning, and Doc Rivers certainly wasn't a perfect replacement. Management needs to regroup and find someone who can lead this team for the next five-plus years and lead them well.
So, who might the Milwaukee Bucks look at? Well, it may ultimately hinge on what happens with star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. There was plenty of chatter about the Greek Freak leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline, and that could very well pick up once again in the summer. If he's sticking around for another year or beyond, he will likely have a hand in picking the next coach.
It must be noted that back when there were rumors about Rivers transitioning to a front office role in Milwaukee, The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn (subscription required) reported that Darvin Ham and Sam Cassell were two names under consideration to take the coaching mantle. One would think that the Milwaukee Bucks could look at them once again.
Before anything, Milwaukee needs clarification on Rivers' future.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.