Following their swift exit from the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks were expected to undergo some changes this off-season.
Although changes with the players, such as free agency and trades, still cannot happen until far down the line, the team has started getting busy elsewhere. According to TNT and Bleacher Report insider Chris Haynes, the Bucks have let go of assistant coaches Josh Oppenheimer, DJ Bakker and Sidney Dobner as leading man Doc Rivers aims to restructure his coaching staff.
Haynes noted that more changes to the staff are on the horizon.
Bucks begin off-season changes with several internal moves, more to come
These cuts aren't too surprising, primarily because the names involved were not picked by Rivers; they were there when he took over the Milwaukee Bucks this past season. When the off-season eventually rolled around, it seemed plausible that Rivers would take a closer look at his staff and make some tweaks to bring in people he has more experience with.
The big surprise is Oppenheimer, who was an assistant with the Bucks from 2013-16 and then again from 2020 to now. Oppenheimer always worked closely with Giannis Antetokounmpo as his shooting coach, but he's caught a lot of negative press over the years for the Greek Freak's poor foul shooting. The Bucks and Rivers were clearly ready to move on.
Haynes noted it was a "delicate" situation dismissing Oppenheimer, given the notable relationship with Giannis, but added that Antetokounmpo likely knew ahead of time.
Now, Milwaukee Bucks fans will have to wait for more reporting on the other changes coming as Rivers crafts his ideal staff for his first full year with the franchise.
Yet, these tweaks are not the biggest potential non-player move looming for the Bucks. Over these past few days, rumors have been running rampant about general manager Jon Horst being a hot name in the Detroit Pistons' search for a president of basketball operations, and there's a real shot they could lose him in the coming weeks or months.
Horst's decision will play a significant role in how Milwaukee's off-season plays out, as the team would have to find a worthy replacement while also tweaking the roster to put this team in a position to win it all. It should be an incredibly busy summer.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.