Report: Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer Enters COVID Protocols

The Toronto Raptors will take on the Milwaukee Bucks without head coach Mike Budenholzer who has entered COVID protocols

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks will have a new head coach on the sideline for Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Raptors.

Head coach Mikee Budenholzer has reportedly entered COVID-19 Health & Safety protocols, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Assistant coach Darvin Ham will take over the reins as the team's coach against Toronto.

ESPN Sources: Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has entered Covid protocols and will miss tonight's game vs. Toronto. Top assistant Darvin Ham will be the acting head coach. Ham is considered one of the league's next wave of head coaches.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 5, 2022

This will be Ham's first game as an NBA head coach. Prior to joining the Bucks in 2018, he was an assistant under Budenholzer for the Atlanta Hawks. He spent one season in 2010-11 as the head coach for the New Mexico Thunderbirds in the G League.

Budenholzer is the 12th NBA coach to enter league protocols this season and the second coach to enter protocols prior to facing the Raptors. Toronto played the Los Angeles Clippers last week without head coach Tyronn Lue who entered protocols prior to the game. 

Both Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen have been ruled out for Wednesday's game due to COVID-19 protocols.

Toronto will be without Yuta Watanabe and Svi Mykhailiuk who entered protocols on Tuesday night.

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