Less than a day after it was announced that the Milwaukee Bucks had fired Adrian Griffin, they have already found their next head coach.
According to multiple outlets, Doc Rivers has officially agreed to become the team's new coach after rumors surfaced yesterday about the team pursuing him. The organization had reportedly been in contact with him since December, having him serve as an informal consultant to Griffin, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Eric Nehm (Subscription required).
According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Milwaukee's deal to pry Rivers away from ESPN is expected to be a lucrative one. The Bucks are now paying the salaries of Mike Budenholzer, Griffin, and RIvers. That's a hefty payroll for management, but it shows that they are committed to putting this team in what they feel is the best position to win it all.
Rivers hire is reportedly going to cost the Milwaukee Bucks quite a bit
From the moment they started questioning Griffin, it seems like Rivers has always been Milwaukee's top choice to be their next head coach. Part of that could be due to availability, with Rivers currently working as a color commentator at ESPN.
Rivers might not have been the popular pick to coach this team - almost the entire Bucks fanbase was against the idea when the team was reportedly eyeing him this past off-season - but right now, there were very few options on the market. Rivers was likely the best option to come in and lead this team in terms of an experienced coach with a history of working with star players.
One of the big gripes with the Griffin hire from the beginning was his lack of experience leading a unit contending for an NBA title. Rivers, despite his flaws, has this, and he's also won a championship in his coaching career, which spans over the past few decades.
It's been an insane past couple of days for the Bucks, and things are unlikely to slow down with the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline rapidly approaching. More changes may be on the way very soon.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.