NBA exec calls Doc Rivers a ‘sleeper candidate’ for HC job

Doc Rivers is said to be interested in coaching next season if the right opportunity comes along, and there is at least one top team that may want to give him a shot.

Joe Vardon of The Athletic wrote this week that he spoke with three NBA front office executives about Rivers in the hours after the Philadelphia 76ers fired the 61-year-old coach. While the execs expressed some doubt that Rivers will coach next season, one said he believes Doc is a “potential sleeper candidate” for the Milwaukee Bucks.

If Rivers does want to keep coaching, he would probably be intrigued by the Milwaukee job. The Bucks finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference this season and have one of the best players in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They fired Mike Budenholzer following a disappointing first-round playoff exit, but the Bucks are just two years removed from winning an NBA title.

Rivers has 24 years of NBA head coaching experience, which should make him a desirable candidate. He has had 16 consecutive winning seasons and led the Boston Celtics to a championship back in 2008. One potential issue for a team like the Bucks could be that Rivers-led teams have not advanced past the conference semifinals in over a decade.

There are some other mid-level jobs that might make sense for Rivers, but it is unclear if he would want to go that route.