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Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game four of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

15-Year NBA Veteran Speaks on Bucks’ Situation With Doc Rivers

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated May 8, 2025 8:57 PM ET

Will the Milwaukee Bucks go down a similar path as the Philadelphia 76ers by moving on from the head coach, Doc Rivers, early? So far, there hasn’t been a strong enough indication to assume that will be the case.

Recently, former Sixers sharpshooter Danny Green spoke on his former head coach’s situation out in Milwaukee, noting that the Bucks have quite a bill for head coaches right now. Fortunately for Milwaukee, they were relieved of paying for Mike Budenholzer after he took a job in Phoenix.

As for Adrian Griffin, the one-and-done head coach is still left without a team one year after getting shockingly replaced by Rivers midway through the season.

Should the Bucks be willing to cut ties with another coach early?

“If you’re going to fire a coach, this is the time to do it because there are some good candidates out there in Mike Malone and Taylor Jenkins,” Green said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.

Of course, the Bucks’ job isn’t a perfect one, but some coaches can’t be picky.

“Do you want to be home, or do you want a job? There are certain guys that are fit for [the Bucks job]. Do you want a job? Do you want to coach? Some of them love the game and have a passion for it, and want to take on that challenge,” Green added. “I don’t know if everybody would want the job. A few of them will, but you have options to explore.”

Two teams pulled a Milwaukee-esque move this year, parting ways with their head coaches during the season while performing relatively well. The Denver Nuggets parted ways with Michael Malone before making the playoffs and advancing to the second round.

While the Memphis Grizzlies’ playoff run has concluded in round one, they still cracked a spot in the postseason weeks after parting ways with Taylor Jenkins. Those two are likely to receive coaching interest as early as this summer.

The Bucks have a lot of question marks moving forward, and Rivers isn’t first on the list of concerns. Instead, the Bucks have to worry about whether they’ll land a trade request from their franchise superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or not. As far as Rivers goes, Green acknowledged that several key factors to the Bucks’ 2025 postseason shortcomings are “not on Doc.”

After going 17-19 with the Bucks last year, Rivers’ team achieved a 48-34 record in 2024-2025. After picking up the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks lost in round one to the Indiana Pacers. While Rivers’ teams have missed the playoffs just once in the last 10 seasons, he hasn’t made it out of the second round in the past decade.

The Bucks could explore potentially picking up a third head coach since 2023, but that doesn’t seem to be on Milwaukee’s mind at this time.