The Milwaukee Bucks found their next head coach after an extensive search early in the NBA offseason. The team has decided to replace Mike Budenholzer with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s preferred option: Adrian Griffin.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bucks are planning to hire Griffin to become the team’s next head coach. The two sides still need to determine financial compensation before a contract becomes an official agreement.
Griffin is considered a defensive-minded coach who is able to hold players accountable. He is 48 years old and will be serving in his first head coaching job.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports reported last week that Antetokounmpo wanted the front office to hire Adrian Griffin. Griffin, who played 447 games in the NBA from 1999 to 2008, served last season as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.
“I think that Griffin is gonna get the Milwaukee job because Giannis wants him,” Gambadoro said. “There’s like a butting of the heads in Milwaukee, from what I’m being told, because you’ve got the owner, you’ve got the GM, you’ve got Giannis. They wanna keep Giannis and they wanna keep Giannis happy. Adrian Griffin is his choice. That’s who he wants.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Giannis Antetokounmpo & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
The Bucks fired Budenholzer after losing to Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Milwaukee was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.
Budenholzer guided the Bucks to the 2021 title over the Phoenix Suns in six games. However, Milwaukee felt it needed a new voice in the locker room after back-to-back postseasons where the team didn’t make a deep run. The Bucks lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games despite having a 3-2 lead in the series.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Giannis Antetokounmpo & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
Antetokounmpo, 28, signed a five-year, $228 million designated maximum contract extension with Milwaukee in December 2020. He will make $45.7 million next season.
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