Bucks Eyeing Doc Rivers After Dismissing Adrian Griffin, per Report

The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to strongly consider Doc Rivers for their coaching vacancy following the unexpected dismissal of Adrian Griffin on Tuesday afternoon, according to NBA insider Chris B. Haynes.

The Bucks parted ways with Griffin just 43 games into his first season as the team’s coach and named Joe Prunty the interim coach. 

Milwaukee is 30–13 this season, owners of the NBA’s second best record.

Rivers, 62, last coached in the NBA during the 2022-23 season, when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers. More recently, he served as an NBA analyst for ESPN, but could be on the brink of a return to coaching midway through the ‘23-‘24 campaign. 

Rivers, of course, comes with plenty of experience. He’s coached 24 seasons in the NBA since 1999, spending time with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and the 76ers. He’s won one championship and one conference championship in his career and has coached in 1,860 regular season games, as well as 215 playoff games–the second most of all time behind Gregg Popovich. 

Milwaukee intends to “quickly pursue a small pool of accomplished and available head coaches,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who added that Rivers is “near the top” of the Bucks’ shortlist.