The Milwaukee Bucks joined the head coaching carousel this NBA offseason when they decided to move on from Mike Budenholzer. It was a decision some people were surprised by as the Bucks were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season and won the NBA Championship two years ago.
Alas, ownership thought it was time for a change and Budenholzer was let go. He likely won’t be without a job very long as he is already on the candidate list for the Phoenix Suns. The team that Budenholzer and the Bucks beat two years ago in the NBA Finals also opted to make a head coaching change.
After four years on the job, Monty Williams was fired after his team lost in the Western Conference semifinal to the Denver Nuggets. It was an embarrassing performance for Phoenix, who trailed by 30 points at home in an elimination game for the second straight year.
Could the two franchises who met in the NBA Finals in 2021 and not replicated that success actually end up swapping head coaches? There is certainly a chance of that occurring as Williams is reportedly very high on the Bucks’ list of candidates.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
During an appearance on Run It Back on FanDuel TV, NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium provided the update on Williams being connected to Milwaukee. He added that the market for Williams will be robust as significant interest will be drummed up.
“The Bucks will pursue Monty Williams from what I’m told, pretty aggressively… He’s near or at the top of their list after they fired Mike Budenholzer”
Both the Bucks and Suns, despite some solid success in recent years, both felt they needed a new voice for their locker room. Milwaukee is a very sought-after job as two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo remains on the roster. That is a draw for any head coach, especially if the front office can continue revamping the roster around him with the supporting cast showing some signs of deteriorating in recent seasons.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
Williams won the Coach of the Year award last year after overseeing the Suns having the best record in the NBA in the regular season. He finished second the season before that as Williams is one of the best head coaching candidates available this offseason.
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