Bucks To Hire Taylor Jenkins As Head Coach
The Bucks are finalizing a contract agreement with Taylor Jenkins and will hire him as their new head coach, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania and Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link).
Milwaukee had been in the market for a new coach after the franchise parted ways with Doc Rivers at the end of the regular season in a split that Rivers stated was “100%” his decision. According to Charania (Twitter link), Jenkins was viewed as a top candidate on the coaching market this spring, with the Bucks high on his track record of player development, culture-setting, and competitiveness.
Even before Rivers’ exit, Jenkins was being linked to Milwaukee, and reporting from The Athletic earlier this week indicated that the two sides had met since Rivers’ departure. Charania says the first meeting happened last week in Memphis before Jenkins and the Bucks met again this Tuesday to engage in more serious discussions about the job.
A former assistant in Atlanta and Milwaukee under Mike Budenholzer, Jenkins was hired in 2019 as the head coach of the Grizzlies. He led the team to a 250-214 (.539) regular season record across nearly six full seasons before being dismissed with only about two weeks left in the 2024/25 campaign.
Although Jenkins helped guide the Grizzlies, who had registered consecutive sub-.500 seasons prior to his hiring, back to the playoffs, the team was never able to get over the hump during his time in Memphis. The Grizzlies advanced to the second round in 2022 but experienced first-round exits in 2021 and 2023. Under Jenkins’ replacement, Tuomas Iisalo, Memphis was also bounced in the first round in 2025 and now appears headed for a rebuild.
Whether the Bucks are headed for a retooling phase of their own remains to be seen, but it’s probably safe to assume that Jenkins accepted the position without a guarantee that Giannis Antetokounmpo will still be on the roster when the 2026/27 season tips off.
Bucks co-owner Wes Edens suggested last month that the superstar forward figures to be either extended or traded within the next year, and that was before a late-season disagreement between Antetokounmpo and the team about his knee injury created even more tension between the two sides. For what it’s worth, Giannis later expressed that he wasn’t thrilled about Edens’ comments either.
Once the Bucks formally finalize a deal with Jenkins, it will leave the Bulls and Pelicans as the two teams actively seeking a new permanent head coach, though more clubs could join that list as the spring progresses.
Bucks Met With Taylor Jenkins About Coaching Job
The Bucks have met with former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins as they ramp up their search for a new head coach following the departure of Doc Rivers, according to Eric Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Jenkins has been considered one of the top targets for Milwaukee since news broke that Rivers would not be returning to the sidelines next season. Jenkins amassed a 250-214 record during his time in Memphis, making the playoffs in four of his six years at the helm. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for the Bucks after spending five seasons as an assistant in Atlanta.
Amick and Nehm say that no specific contract details were discussed; rather, the meeting’s purpose was to outline the vision for the team’s future. Jenkins is expected to meet with Bucks leadership again in the near future to continue discussing the job.
The Athletic’s duo adds that Jenkins is seen as one of the top candidates on the market this summer, so it’s possible he’ll be patient and explore other options before committing to a team.
One team listed as a potential suitor for his services is the Magic, who have been rumored to be considering parting ways with head coach Jamahl Mosley. However, having advanced through the play-in tournament and won Game 1 in Detroit, Mosley is making his case to hang onto his job.
Fischer’s Latest: Horst, Bucks, Jenkins, Blazers, Bulls
The Bucks endured a disappointing and drama-filled season in 2025/26, going just 32-50 amid injuries to — and trade rumors involving — Giannis Antetokounmpo. Head coach Doc Rivers officially stepped down from his role on Monday and suggested in a subsequent podcast appearance that his NBA coaching days may be over.
Could general manager Jon Horst be the next key member of the organization on the move? According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), the early signs in Milwaukee indicate the answer to that question is no.
There had been speculation around the league about Horst’s job status, but his contract runs through 2027/28 and he has initiated contact with several agents as the Bucks commence their search for Rivers’ replacement, sources tell Fischer.
As Fischer writes, Horst hasn’t really spearheaded a coaching search since 2018, when the team hired Mike Budenholzer. Adrian Griffin, who went 30-13 in ’23/24 before being replaced by Rivers, was believed to be the favored choice of Antetokounmpo, while Rivers was hand-picked by ownership.
Fischer reiterates that ex-Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and Bucks top assistant Darvin Ham are among the candidates for the position, but Horst appears to be casting a wide net in his search, with several other names in play as well.
On the other end of the search, candidates for the job likely won’t have a great feel for what Milwaukee’s roster will look like next season until at least this summer, Fischer notes, since Antetokounmpo’s situation remains unresolved.
Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- Jenkins, who was fired by Memphis near the end of the ’24/25 regular season, may be the “hottest name” on the coaching market, Fischer writes. There has been speculation the Wizards could be interested in Jenkins, but Washington’s front office recently said Brian Keefe is expected to remain in his role next season. Sources tell Fischer the Wizards want to give Keefe a chance to lead a team trying to win after Washington prioritized draft positioning in his first two-and-a-half years at the helm. The Magic are believed to be fans of Jenkins too, though the team still has Jamahl Mosley under contract.
- According to Fischer, part of the reason the Kings decided to retain Doug Christie is because Sacramento doesn’t project to be a playoff team next season and the former NBA guard has one year left on his contract. Given the current state of the team, paying two coaches doesn’t make much sense, Fischer writes.
- While Tiago Splitter has seemingly done as well as anyone could have hoped in Portland after Chauncey Billups was arrested and placed on leave as part of an illegal gambling probe, the Trail Blazers may be leaning in a different direction as they look to hire the first head coach under new majority owner Tom Dundon. According to Fischer, that’s not a reflection on Splitter’s performance as Portland’s interim replacement but rather Dundon’s reticence to pay the going rate for an NBA head coach. Fischer hears it has been “widely communicated” for weeks that Dundon is evidently looking to spend a maximum of $1.5MM per year on a new head coach, which is more in line with what top assistant coaches make. It’s also far less money than high-level college head coaches earn, Fischer continues, which is why some people believe an NBA assistant is more likely to accept the job unless a deal can be reached with Splitter. Fischer hears the Blazers have held exploratory talks with 20 college and international coaches about the position.
- The Bulls have hired the firm TurnkeyZRG to lead the search process for their new head of basketball operations, Fischer reports, but head coach Billy Donovan is also expected to have a “strong voice” in the search, assuming he stays in his current role. The Mavericks, meanwhile, decided not to use a search firm, with governor Patrick Dumont leading that process, Fischer adds.
Numerous Teams Considering Coaching Changes
The NBA’s coaching carousel has already started spinning with Doc Rivers‘ decision to step down from the Bucks, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype suggests it could be an active offseason throughout the league on that front.
Milwaukee has a potential replacement on hand in lead assistant Darvin Ham, but sources tell Scotto the Pelicans could also have interest in Ham if they decide not to retain interim head coach James Borrego, echoing recent reporting from Jake Fischer.
Former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins may be the top name on the market and is expected to draw interest from the Bucks, Scotto confirms. Jenkins previously served as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee.
Scotto states that Borrego could also emerge as a candidate for the Bucks if New Orleans decides to move on, noting that he interviewed with the organization before it hired Adrian Griffin in 2023.
Scotto shares more coaching and front office rumors from around the NBA:
- The Bulls are hoping to hold onto coach Billy Donovan after upending their front office last week. Scotto believes Donovan may have some interest in taking over the Magic if they decide to fire Jamahl Mosley, pointing out that Orlando hired Donovan in 2007 before he changed his mind a few days later and decided to remain at Florida. Scotto cites Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd as a potential front office addition in Chicago, noting that Lloyd began his career with the Bulls. He also points to CAA’s Austin Brown as a possibility if the organization wants to make a run at one of the top agents in the business.
- Jenkins and Tom Thibodeau could also be options for the Magic if they make a coaching move, according to Scotto. Borrego, a former assistant in Orlando, may emerge as another possibility. Sources tell Scotto that Michael Malone had been considered throughout the league as a potential candidate for the Magic before he accepted a job with North Carolina.
- The Pelicans will consider keeping Borrego, but sources tell Scotto that Ham and Kevin Ollie will also be in the mix, while Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be among the leading candidates for the position if he becomes available. Scotto also points out that Ham worked with Pelicans executive vice president of basketball 0perations Joe Dumars for two years in Detroit, while Ollie interviewed for the head coaching job when New Orleans general manager Troy Weaver was running the Pistons.
- Steve Kerr and the Warriors will discuss their future this summer, Scotto hears. Stephen Curry remains a huge advocate for Kerr and wants them to finish their careers together, but Kerr is the league’s highest-paid coach and there are concerns about burn-out after a difficult season.
- Interim head coach Tiago Splitter will be a candidate to remain with the Trail Blazers after leading the team to the eighth seed in the West, but several top assistant coaches throughout the league and some college coaches will also be considered, sources tell Scotto.
- Wizards coach Brian Keefe still has strong support from his front office, but Scotto’s sources say his future is “undecided” as the organization hopes to transform into a playoff contender next season.
- The Hawks‘ late-season surge could result in an extension for coach Quin Snyder, according to Scotto.
Doc Rivers Will Not Return As Bucks’ Coach
APRIL 13: The move is official, the Bucks announced Monday morning (Twitter link).
“I have truly loved my time in Milwaukee,” Rivers said in a statement. “Coming back to where I got my start, to a city that has always embraced me, has been a privilege. I am disappointed that things did not turn out the way any of us hoped, but I am deeply grateful for this experience, the relationships built and unwavering support from our fans and the community. Milwaukee will always mean a lot to me, and this chapter will hold a special place in my heart.”
APRIL 12: Doc Rivers will not be the Bucks‘ head coach next season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who reports that Rivers is departing his role.
Echoing prior reporting, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says the expectation around the league is that Rivers could join the Bucks’ front office in a role that has yet to be determined.
Following a three-year stint in Philadelphia from 2020-23, Rivers was hired by the Bucks during the 2023/24 season to replace Adrian Griffin. He compiled a 97-103 record (.487) across two-and-a-half seasons in Milwaukee, leading the team to two playoff appearances. The club went 3-8 in the postseason under Rivers and didn’t get out of the first round.
While ill-timed injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard played a role in the Bucks’ lack of playoff success in 2024 and 2025, the team was never close to making the postseason this year. Milwaukee finished the season with a 32-50 record, its worst mark since the 2013/14 season.
A longtime coach who won a title in Boston and had a winning record on the sidelines for the Magic, Clippers, and Sixers, Rivers compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach. He will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year as a member of the class of 2026.
As Charania notes (via Twitter), Rivers had one more year remaining on his contract, so Milwaukee will be on the hook for his 2026/27 salary. The Bucks will now embark upon a search for his replacement, with former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins expected to be a prominent target.
Coaching Rumors: Jenkins, Wizards, Mosley, Pelicans, Kerr, More
There wasn’t a whole lot of NBA head coaching turnover last spring, when several teams retained coaches who had previously had interim tags and only the Suns and Knicks made new hires. There haven’t been many changes since then either, with only New Orleans having made an in-season change, though Portland was also forced to elevate assistant Tiago Splitter after Chauncey Billups was arrested in October.
The expectation is that a relatively quiet 12 months on the coaching market could result in an eventful few weeks once the regular season ends, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
“There’s going to be eight to 12 (coaching changes),” one source predicted to Fischer.
With several head coaching jobs expected to open up this spring, Fischer identifies a few candidates to monitor for those openings, naming current assistants Sean Sweeney (Spurs), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Dave Bliss (Thunder), Chris Quinn (Heat), Royal Ivey (Rockets), and Luke Walton (Pistons).
Here are several more coaching-related rumors from Fischer:
- Confirming that Taylor Jenkins is a potential target to watch for the Bucks if they part ways with Doc Rivers, Fischer says there have been “whispers for months” that the Wizards would also have interest in Jenkins if they decide to move on from Brian Keefe. It’s unclear at this point if Washington intends to bring back Keefe for another season as the team aims to take a step toward contention in 2026/27. “It’s very difficult for any young coach to survive a years-long rebuild and (then) oversee a dramatic cultural shift of losing to competing,” one general manager told The Stein Line.
- If the Magic let go of Jamahl Mosley, he’s expected to draw interest from New Orleans, according to Fischer, who says Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars is a fan. James Borrego is also expected to receive consideration for the permanent job in New Orleans, Fischer notes, adding that Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is another candidate to watch if the team conducts a full-fledged search.
- While it’s too early to say what will happen with Steve Kerr, Fischer has heard that the Warriors would ideally like to sign the veteran coach for more than a single season if he decides to return, since team officials would prefer to avoid a “Last Dance scenario,” if possible. Stephen Curry‘s current contract expires in 2027, as does Jimmy Butler‘s. Draymond Green‘s would too if he exercises his 2026/27 player option.
- The Kings are still evaluating Doug Christie‘s performance and are taking into account that injuries decimated his roster this season, Fischer writes. Christie has one more guaranteed year left on his contract (with a 2027/28 team option) and it’s not impossible that he’ll return for next season, Fischer adds.
- Although the Trail Blazers discussed a potential extension for Splitter at one point, per Fischer, the acting head coach’s future is up in the air with new owner Tom Dundon taking over the franchise. Dundon has talked about evaluating every aspect of the organization. That includes its head coach and its front office, according to Fischer, who suggests that changes in the basketball operations department are possible. For what it’s worth, Dundon said recently that general manager Joe Cronin’s job status is “solid.”
Stein’s Latest: Rivers, Karnisovas, Donovan, Splitter
Bucks coach Doc Rivers will become a Hall-of-Famer this year, and there may be more news coming from him in the months ahead. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), there is a growing sense that Rivers and the Bucks could either part ways or change his responsibilities after a season that has gone off the rails. Milwaukee has a 31-47 record and the franchise appears to be growing increasingly at odds with star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While Stein doesn’t specify what such a restructuring would look like, the implication is that it could include a move to the front office.
“At the very least, Rivers’ Springfield induction in August, at age 64, has helped fuel the notion that he will not be coaching the Bucks after the regular season concludes,” Stein writes.
Jake Fischer, also of the Stein Line, agrees (via Twitter) that significant changes are expected in Milwaukee this offseason, while Stein adds that former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is seen as a potential candidate to replace Rivers should the Bucks decide to move on this summer.
We have more updates from Stein:
- The Bulls may be weighing the future of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, as the team will miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Chicago has advanced beyond the play-in just once during Karnisovas’ tenure, and that playoff appearance resulted in a quick first-round exit in 2022 against the Bucks. The Bulls’ front office under Karnisovas has also struggled to find a direction or extract peak value in trades. Meetings to determine the veteran executive’s future with the team will be taking place soon, per Stein.
- Despite their front office uncertainty, the Bulls would like to retain head coach Billy Donovan, Stein writes, noting that the team denied the Knicks’ request to interview him for their head coaching vacancy last summer before signing him to a multiyear extension. Donovan has recently been linked to the UNC head coaching job, but Stein writes that the Bulls’ coach will likely want to wait until after the season concludes on April 12 to meet with the Tar Heels, and the university may want to make a decision sooner than that.
- The Trail Blazers may be one of the teams looking for a new coach this offseason. New owner Tom Dundon is said to be surveying the coaching landscape as he determines interim head coach Tiago Splitter‘s future with the team. According to Stein, there’s an expectation that there could be more league-wide coaching movement than there was last year, and Splitter, who took over at the beginning of the season following the arrest of Chauncey Billups, may be one of the coaches on the move.
Ja Morant Notes: Trade Ideas, Possible Suitors, Injury
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday that the Grizzlies are entertaining trade offers for Ja Morant and will consider moving the two-time All-Star point guard prior to the February 5 deadline.
Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com hears from sources who say the 26-year-old still feels miffed about the team-issued one-game suspension he received at the beginning of the season. In the wake of that suspension, Morant told opposing players and some of his former coaches that he no longer wanted to play for Memphis, according to Wright.
Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal says Morant has not requested a trade (Twitter link), but the distinction might not matter much if the Grizzlies are open to dealing him anyway. For what it’s worth, Morant is present at Friday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, tweets Cole.
Here’s more on Morant:
- The ESPN.com story that includes the sourced notes from Wright is largely centered on trade ideas involving Morant, who is under contract through 2027/28. Insiders Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton pitch theoretical trades, and those proposals are evaluated by former front office executive Bobby Marks. A deal that sends Immanuel Quickley, Ochai Agbaji and Toronto’s top-14 protected 2026 first-round pick to Memphis and Morant to the Raptors is the most appealing trade for the Grizzlies, in Marks’ view.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) is skeptical that the Raptors would have much interest in Morant, however, pointing out that head coach Darko Rajakovic is close to Taylor Jenkins, who was fired by the Grizzlies toward the end of last season. Rajakovic was an assistant under Jenkins in Memphis for three seasons prior to landing Toronto’s head coaching job.
- In a subscriber-only story for The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Cole lists five potential landing spots for Morant, including the Timberwolves, Heat and Bucks.
- Morant missed his fourth straight game on Friday due to a right calf contusion. However, unlike the previous three games, when he was initially deemed questionable before being downgraded, he was immediately ruled out for Friday’s contest. Asked before the game whether Morant had experienced a setback, head coach Tuomas Iisalo said “no,” as Cole relays (via Twitter).
Pelicans Notes: Borrego, Green, Dumars, Poole, Coaching Search
The Pelicans had a new head coach for Sunday’s game against Golden State, but the result was familiar, writes Les East of NOLA.com. Playing its first game under James Borrego, who was promoted after Willie Green was fired on Saturday, New Orleans suffered its fifth straight loss and fell to 2-11 on the season.
“We’ve got a lot to do,” Borrego said. “The beauty of this game is you come back to work the next day. … It doesn’t get any easier. We’ve got another juggernaut coming in.”
He was referring to Monday’s contest against 13-1 Oklahoma City, which provides another tough challenge for a team badly in need of wins. Borrego made his first lineup change on Sunday, giving a first career start to rookie big man Derik Queen, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in 24-plus minutes. The Pelicans got balanced scoring with four players in double figures, but committed 20 turnovers that resulted in 27 Warriors points.
“There were costly, careless turnovers in transition,” Borrego said. “We’ve got to have more poise. There’s a balance between playing fast and frenetic and playing with poise. We’ve got to be opportunistic (in transition).”
There’s more from New Orleans:
- There was surprise around the league that Green wasn’t fired sooner considering the Pelicans’ poor start, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto hears that executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was supportive of Green early in the season, but conveyed a constant message that the team needed to improve. Sources tell Scotto that offseason addition Jordan Poole was upset after being removed from the starting lineup on October 29, and Green’s coaching style had become “stale” with Trey Murphy III. Scotto adds that some players and other members of the organization believed Green didn’t do enough to hold Zion Williamson accountable.
- Dumars held a meeting with his staff this summer where he talked about emphasizing defense, toughness, high basketball IQ and a high motor, then completed a trade an hour later for Poole, who doesn’t fit that description, sources tell Scotto. Poole’s salary of $31.8MM this season and $34MM in 2026/27 was considered “a tough contract to move” by rival executives, Scotto adds. That trade and the deal sending an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta in exchange for Queen were pushed by senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver, Dumars’ long-time associate, Scotto reports.
- Weaver is also a strong supporter of Kevin Ollie, who has been mentioned as a possibility to eventually take over as head coach, Scotto adds. Scotto identifies Tom Thibodeau, Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins as free agent coaches who might interest the Pelicans, but speculates that their “price tags could be too rich” for the team. In his latest Substack column (subscription required), Marc Stein of The Stein Line points to Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as a name to watch in the coaching search.
Pelicans Notes: Ollie, Borrego, Head Coaching Job, Dumars
Former UConn head coach Kevin Ollie, who was interim coach of the Nets at the end of the 2023/24 season, is among the candidates for the Pelicans‘ head coaching job, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
A journeyman guard who played for 11 different teams in his 13 NBA seasons, Ollie began his coaching career after retiring as a player in 2010. He was the head coach at UConn from 2012-18 and won a national title with the Huskies in 2014 but lost his job after the NCAA opened an investigation into UConn and its coaches for recruiting violations.
Ollie was also the head coach of the Overtime Elite program from 2021-23 and was a finalist for the Pistons’ top coaching job in the 2023 offseason.
James Borrego, who is expected to remain interim coach of the Pelicans for the rest of the season in the wake of Willie Green‘s dismissal, will also be considered for the full-time role, Begley adds.
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- While Borrego is respected by the new front office led by executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints hears there’s skepticism the former Hornets coach will replace Green on a permanent basis. Citing a source, Dodson says Dumars is “quietly” looking for a new head coach who could “completely shake up the organization and reset the culture.” Dodson lists the six external candidates he views as the best fits for the position, including Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins.
- On a conference call with the media, Dumars explained his rationale for firing Green, as Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com relays. “I was looking for the team to compete hard every night,” Dumars said Saturday, reiterating a message he delivered at his introductory press conference in April. “If we start losing the same way over and over again, that’s not improvement. That was really the one thing I talked to the coaching staff about, ‘Guys, we have to establish that we’re going to play hard every night.’ Before you can become anything in this league, you have to establish that first as a team. It was that judgment (that led to a change) more than identity, more than the offense or defense, or the won-loss record.”
- When asked if he was concerned about trading the team’s 2026 first-round pick in a draft-day deal with Atlanta (to acquire Derik Queen), Dumars said he hasn’t been thinking about it, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). “I’m not sitting here worried about the pick that we don’t have,” Dumars said.