If Giannis Antetokounmpo departs the Milwaukee Bucks organization anytime soon, it wouldn't be too surprising if Doc Rivers followed. Per insider Marc Stein (subscription required), the move to keep Rivers after last season's exit was because the Bucks felt like it would help convince Giannis to stay. It worked initially, but if the Greek Freak ends up asking out, things could change in a hurry.
Doc Rivers should already be on the hot seat
Stein's reporting makes it sound like the Bucks were on the fence with Rivers. Had Giannis asked out during the summer, it would have made sense to part with the coach and seek a new voice. There's no reason to believe that the same formula wouldn't hold true here. Yet, Giannis is known to have a great deal of respect for Rivers, so keeping him for the time being acted as a pitch this summer.
The question at hand is how soon the Milwaukee Bucks might act on it. If Giannis asks out and gets his wish before the NBA Trade Deadline, would the Bucks immediately seek a new coach? It wouldn't be surprising if they let him go and immediately look to install a new leader. They could also hold onto Rivers until the offseason and then open a coaching search to maintain some stability.
It's worth noting that Rivers' future with the team has been in question before. The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn (subscription required) reported earlier this year that there had been chatter about Doc Rivers transitioning to a front office role, which would have opened the door for Darvin Ham or Sam Cassell to take the reins as head coach. Perhaps that's a scenario they explore once again.
No matter what, Giannis is buying Rivers precious time. If the Greek Freak goes, it's a matter of when, not if, Doc Rivers follows shortly after him.
Is Doc Rivers solely to blame for Milwaukee's issues this season? Absolutely not. Injuries have been a nuisance as always, while several moves haven't panned out like the team hoped they would. Yet, he isn't blame-free here, either. Poor rotations, questionable play-calling, and many more issues have hurt the Milwaukee Bucks time and time again, and Doc Rivers is pulling those strings.
The next handful of weeks will dictate plenty for the future of the Giannis, Rivers, the Bucks, and the rest of the NBA.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.