Doc Rivers reportedly signing with Bucks through 2026-27 season

Doc Rivers’ new contract with the Bucks runs through the end of the 2026-27 season and will pay him approximately $40M, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Rivers quickly emerged as the favorite for the Milwaukee job after Adrian Griffin was fired as head coach on Tuesday. 

A report yesterday indicated that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle for Rivers to take over. Assistant Joe Prunty is serving as interim coach until a replacement is finalized, and he picked up his first victory last night as the Bucks defeated Cleveland.

General manager Jon Horst refused to comment about Rivers during a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, but he said the team hopes to fill the position quickly. He also expressed confidence that the new coach can repair the defensive issues that led to Griffin’s dismissal.

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s game, Giannis Antetokounmpo said he was caught off guard by the coaching change, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“I’ve got to trust the front office, I’ve got to trust the ownership group that they consider the bigger picture,” Antetokounmpo said. “My job is to be the best version of myself, to lead this team out there and help win games. Their job is to create the best team possible and the best atmosphere around the team possible that they believe gives us a better chance to win a championship. But yeah, I do think [firing coach Griffin] was a surprise.”

Some observers have suggested Antetokounmpo might have played a role in the move because he was among the veterans who were unhappy about the new defensive philosophy that Griffin was trying to implement. 

Antetokounmpo denied that rumor, saying he and Griffin have a good relationship.

“I loved the guy. I invited him to my wedding,” Antetokounmpo said. “I was coached by him and we did very, very, very well. When somebody is being hired, the GM might come and ask, ‘What do you think about that? What do you think about this?’ or whatever and not just me — players, people that he trusts their advice. But at times, they make it seem like it’s the players that are making the decision.” 

Damian Lillard also told reporters that the firing was unexpected, but he admitted the team hadn’t played as well as it could under Griffin. Among the criticisms of Griffin is that he didn’t do enough to maximize the Lillard-Antetokounmpo combination on offense.

“There’s been a lot of expectations on our team,” Lillard said. “Things have been expected to look a certain way. We’ve had a bumpy road to our success, which is sometimes a part of the process. I was surprised. But it’s part of the game. People get traded, people get waived, people get fired, and that’s never something you want to see.”