The information comes lower than 24 hours after the Bucks made the shocking resolution to part ways with first-year head coach Adrian Griffin on the halfway level of the season.
Griffin had led Milwaukee to a 30-13 document, tied for the second-best mark within the league, however there have been questions about his schemes on each ends of the court docket and his means to attach with the Bucks gamers. The franchise felt that changing Griffin with a veteran head coach might enhance the Bucks’ title possibilities, sources inform Wojnarowski.
Rivers reportedly served as a casual marketing consultant of kinds for Griffin starting final month, on the behest of the Bucks, and instantly emerged because the crew’s best choice as soon as the top teaching place opened up on Tuesday.
Rivers, 62, has loved a protracted head teaching profession that features stints with the Magic, Celtics, Clippers, and Sixers. He has a 1,097-763 (.590) common season document and a 111-104 (.516) mark within the postseason, together with a championship with Boston in 2008.
Whereas Rivers has lengthy been thought-about one of many NBA’s high head coaches, his playoff observe document has been spotty since that ’08 title with the Celtics. His groups made the postseason in 15 of the 16 subsequent seasons however superior past the second spherical simply twice throughout that point. Rivers was let go by Philadelphia final spring following a 3rd consecutive second-round exit.
Rivers joined ESPN as an analyst following his stint with the Sixers, however will step away from that job as a way to try to guide Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to their second championship up to now 4 seasons.
The phrases of Rivers’ contract with the Bucks aren’t but identified, nevertheless it’s anticipated to be a “very profitable” deal, sources inform Chris Mannix of SI.com. As Mannix observes, Milwaukee is now dedicating a big chunk of cash to the top teaching place, for the reason that crew remains to be paying each Griffin and former coach Mike Budenholzer.
It’s unclear how quickly Rivers will probably be on the sidelines in Milwaukee. The Bucks host the Cavaliers on Wednesday night time and once more on Friday — assistant Joe Prunty will function the interim head coach till Rivers arrives.