Steve Kerr says former Bucks head coach 'deserved better'

The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to fire head coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday didn't shock Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. However, he does believe the Bucks gave Budenholzer a raw deal.

"We all believe Bud deserved better, but we're all aware this is the job we chose," Kerr said via John Hollinger of The Athletic. 

Kerr's point is without merit. Budenholzer helped lead the Bucks to a 58-24 mark this season, the best record in the NBA. However, after several questionable decisions during the postseason, many questioned Budenholzer's status on the Bucks' bench. Milwaukee's unceremonious exit in the first round, falling in five games to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat, may have been the last straw. 

From the perspective of Kerr and others, Budenholzer's past success should've earned him more time. But the NBA is a result-based business, and simply put, Budenholzer resided over one of the worst collapses in recent memory, and unfortunately, it likely cost him his job. 

Budenholzer leaves Milwaukee with a championship ring and the best winning percentage (.693) in the franchise's history, so he will inevitably land on his feet somewhere. However, he won't be alone when it comes to former title-winning coaches searching for a job. 

Three of the last four head coaches to win an NBA title have been fired, including Budenholzer, Nick Nurse and Frank Vogel, with the only outlier being Kerr himself. 

Following Budenholzer's dismissal, former player and current ESPN analyst Jalen Rose suggested that Nurse and the former Bucks' head man switch jobs. Rose said he "wouldn't be surprised" if that scenario played out. 

Regardless, plenty of coaching pedigree will be available for whichever NBA jobs come open between now and the start of the 2023-24 campaign.