Bucks fire coach Adrian Griffin after half a season; Doc Rivers under consideration

The Milwaukee Bucks have fired coach Adrian Griffin after just half a season and leading the team to a 30-13 record, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Former Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers is under consideration to become a potential replacement, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report/TNT. Rivers is currently a lead in-game analyst for ESPN.

Lead assistant Joe Prunty will serve as interim coach, a role with which he’s familiar. Prunty served as an interim coach when the Bucks fired then-coach Jason Kidd, and then again when the Atlanta Hawks fired Nate McMillan.

A reason for this stunning move has not yet been determined. According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, it may not necessarily be a huge surprise, as some players “may have lost faith” in Griffin. That includes star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“There have been steady rumblings for weeks in NBA circles that several Bucks veterans, including Giannis, had lost faith in Griffin,” Mannix wrote. “That appeared to be smart hire last spring just never worked out.”

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam became part-owner of the Bucks in April, though it is not believed he was behind the Griffin decision, sources told Hoops Wire.

Griffin, 49, began his NBA coaching career as a Bucks assistant in 2008. He then served as an assistant with the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors before being hired to replace Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee this past offseason.

Before becoming a coach, Griffin was a journeyman guard/forward in the NBA from 1999-2008, playing for six different teams in that span.

“The Bucks are planning to quickly pursue a small pool of accomplished and available veteran head coaches — with Doc Rivers near the top of the list,” Wojnarowski wrote.

Milwaukee is set to host the Cleveland Cavaliers for a two-game set on Wednesday and Friday. The Cavs (26-15) arrive as the NBA’s hottest team, having won eight straight.

BREAKING: The Milwaukee Bucks dismissed coach Adrian Griffin, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UK1MGlKyrY

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2024