Former 76ers Coach Doc Rivers’ Bucks Contract Revealed
The Milwaukee Bucks made a major change this week. After hiring former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin to take over for the fired Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks pulled the plug on the rookie head coach much earlier than expected.
It didn’t mean much to Milwaukee’s brass that the Bucks were in second place in the Eastern Conference when they made their decision. Despite dropping down just one spot in the conference seeding compared to last year, the Bucks clearly didn’t view themselves as championship contenders with Griffin in charge.
Shortly after Griffin’s release was announced, former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers was linked to the job as one of the strongest candidates. While a few other names were tossed in the mix, it was clear the Bucks had their sights set on Rivers from the jump.
Within days, Rivers and the Bucks reportedly finalized an agreement to allow the future Hall of Fame coach to leave the broadcasting game once again to run his own team out in Milwaukee.
How Long Will Rivers Be With the Bucks?
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Rivers intends to sign a contract that will pay him in the range of $40 million. He is expected to sign a deal that will keep him on board through the 2026-2027 NBA season.
Back in 2020, Rivers concluded a seven-year run as the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. Following a disappointing run in the bubble playoffs, the Clippers believed that Rivers’ time in LA had run its course.
Not long after leaving the Clippers, Rivers received attention from the 76ers, who parted ways with Brett Brown after a seven-season stint. Eventually, Rivers became Brown’s replacement. The veteran head coach would lead the 76ers for three seasons.
Through 236 games, Rivers coached the Sixers to a 154-82 record in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Sixers won 57 percent of their games throughout that three-year stint, making it to the Eastern Conference Semifinal round each time.
Rivers’ progress in Philly was good — but not good enough. Being a head coach with championship experience, Rivers was brought on with expectations of leading the Sixers beyond the second round and making a run for the NBA title for the first time since the early 2000s. After coming up short for the third season in a row, the Sixers went in a different direction, letting go of Rivers two seasons early.
Milwaukee hopes to be the next team to find success under Rivers. While Rivers’ time in Orlando, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia didn’t result in any championship appearances, Rivers’ runs with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and 2010 are strong looks for his resume.
He’ll get a few seasons to bounce back after an early exit from Philadelphia.
