Doc Rivers eyeing highly-decorated former Bucks guard to join retooled staff

The Milwaukee Bucks started the process of shaking things up internally last week when they let go of a handful of assistant coaches.

The cuts were not surprising, as a big chunk of the staff was not chosen by Doc Rivers, who took over as the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks mid-season. Now, with a full off-season to prepare, Rivers will earn the right to pick out his staff. Rumors suggest he's eyeing a prominent name to join his unit.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required) Rivers plans to ignite an "aggressive" pursuit to land Sam Cassell if he does not earn the Los Angeles Lakers' vacant head coaching gig.

Doc Rivers eyeing highly-decorated former Bucks guard to join retooled staff

Cassell, currently serving as an assistant with the Boston Celtics, has experience working with Rivers in the past, having worked together with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. Had Rivers not started the season working at ESPN, perhaps Cassell would have followed him wherever he was once again. This familiarity could bode well for Rivers in his pursuit of Cassell.

Yet, Bucks fans do not know Cassell as one of the most decorated assistant coaches in the league. Instead, they know him as their point guard in the late 90s and early 2000s, who ignited life into the franchise by forming a Big 3 alongside Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson. Those teams never got over the hump, but they were close and helped make this franchise competitive for many years.

If Cassell does not land the Lakers job, he'd be a tremendous fit on the sidelines in Milwaukee, as he is one of the most well-respected assistant coaches out there. At the moment, it seems like a legitimate possibility that Cassell will not get the Lakers' gig, as the aforementioned reporting by Stein mentions that another former Buck, J.J. Redick, should be considered the favorite right now.

With the Boston Celtics still alive in the postseason, more updates on this situation will likely be put on hold for the moment.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.