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GM Jon Horst Explains Bucks’ Coaching Change

January 24th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks general manager Jon Horst said the team’s expectations changed after the decision was made to hire Adrian Griffin as head coach, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Horst met with media members before tonight’s game to explain why management believed a coaching change was necessary even though the team was off to a 30-13 start.

Horst noted that when Griffin got the job in early June, the roster was filled with uncertainties, which made having a first-time head coach seem more plausible. Things changed throughout the summer as Milwaukee was able to reach contract agreements with Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez and then trade for Damian Lillard, which led to Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s extension. With all those pieces securely in place, the front office felt renewed urgency to get the most of out of its championship window.

“It was a tough job and a great opportunity – both things were true – when we hired Griff,” Horst said. “The dynamics and the things that changed after that I think created even more of an urgency and even more so. These are special opportunities. The talent became even more special. The commitment to the team even more significant. And I think that increased the urgency.

“It’s not because I’m afraid to be wrong. I’ve been wrong many a times. I believe Griff still is a head coach. Guy’s 30-13. It made this such a tough decision. This is an assessment and an evaluation for myself, (team president Peter Feigin) and our ownership group in how do we give this team the best resources to maximize this window. It’s way more about that and way less about what Griff did or didn’t do.”

Horst referenced the awkward situation that can develop when a major move of this type is announced on social media. He met with the players before today’s shootaround to explain the reasons why a coaching change was deemed necessary.

Horst also expressed confidence in interim coach Joe Prunty, noting that he has been in this situation before and is “fully aware” that the organization is in the process of hiring a new head coach. Horst refused to comment on Doc Rivers, who reportedly reached an agreement in principle to take over the team, but indicated that he wants to fill the position as quickly as possible.

“What we’re looking for now is a path to go forward and maximize this group from a leadership perspective, from an experience perspective,” Horst said. “We want to try to bring in a coach that can really take us to the next level where we think we can go with this group. That’s not just about coaching. The players have to be better, they have to improve, my group has to continue figuring out how to improve the roster, but we think coaching is an element for us to get better.”

Horst also addressed the issue of having to pay three head coaches, as Mike Budenholzer had two years remaining on his contract when he was fired in May. Horst admitted that it’s part of the “hard decisions” that go into running a team and credited the owners for their commitment to winning.

Horst expressed confidence that the new head coach can fix the defensive shortcomings – and other issues that developed under Griffin – and put the team in position for a long playoff run.

“Although it’s a condensed period of time calendar-wise I think in the world of the NBA and what in particular our really smart, professional and mature players can do, a great coaching staff around them, I believe that there is enough time for them to find an identity, find a rhythm together and continue to grow,” he said. “So, it may feel shortened but the things that happen in the NBA happen quick all the time and transition happens all the time and I think we’ll be well adapted to it.”

Central Notes: Griffin, Lillard, Pacers, Cunningham

January 24th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The tensions that led to the Bucks‘ decision to fire head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday stemmed from a loss of their defensive identity, according to Ramona Shelburne and Jamal Collier of ESPN. A source tells the authors there was a “constant” string of internal conversations about why the team was falling short of expectations, even though Milwaukee is tied for the second-best record in the league at 30-13.

Griffin had a reputation as a defensive specialist after building the Raptors’ defense that resulted in a championship in 2019, and he impressed general manager Jon Horst and other team officials during the interview process with his ideas for the Bucks’ defense, according to Shelburne and Collier.

However, the aggressive scheme that Griffin implemented wasn’t popular with players, who couldn’t understand why center Brook Lopez was being taken out of drop coverage after finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, sources tell the authors. The new approach, which also included attacking ball-handlers far away from the basket, helped Milwaukee rise from 27th to fourth in the league in deflections, but the team ranked last in field goal percentage at the rim after five games before Griffin relented following a meeting with his top players.

Even though the Bucks kept winning, the defense never showed significant improvement, which caused the organization to lose its faith in Griffin. Shelburne and Collier note that former coaches reached out to Griffin to offer advice, including Lionel Hollins and Doc Rivers, who the authors say became a mentor to Griffin before ultimately replacing him in the job.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Fixing the Bucks‘ defense isn’t the only priority for Rivers as he takes over, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Damian Lillard is suffering through one of the worst shooting seasons of his career, connecting at just 42.7% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range, which are his lowest figures in nearly a decade. Nehm suggests that creating more pick-and-roll opportunities for Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo might be one of Rivers’ solutions.
The Pacers have a lot more options on defense after trading for Pascal Siakam, notes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Coach Rick Carlisle already took steps to improve atrocious defensive numbers early in the season by moving Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith into the starting lineup late last month. There has been progress, as Dopirak points out that the team is 19th in points allowed and 17th in defensive rating over its last 15 games.
The Pistons considered having Cade Cunningham return tonight, but coach Monty Williams will give him at least one more game off to recover from a left knee strain, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “We felt like we were in a good place, but decided to make sure he’s in a good place before he’s out there,” Williams said in a pregame meeting with reporters. Cunningham was originally listed as probable before downgraded to questionable and then out.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, Joerger, Bucks, Rozier, Heat

January 24th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

When Sixers star Joel Embiid scored 30-plus points for a 21st consecutive game on Monday, he didn’t just eke past that threshold — he more than doubled it, eclipsing Wilt Chamberlain‘s franchise record of 68 points by racking up an eye-popping 70 in a victory over San Antonio, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

The performance increased Embiid’s season-long scoring average to 36.1 points per game. James Harden (2018/19) is the only other player to average that many points in a single season since Michael Jordan did it in 1986/87.

Having already missed 10 games in 2023/24, Embiid isn’t a lock to reach the 65-game minimum required to qualify for end-of-season awards. But as long as he plays enough, he looks like the clear frontrunner to win a second consecutive MVP award.

“I keep telling everybody, we cannot take this for granted,” Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey said. “Not just as teammates, not as an organization, but as fans … even if you’re not a fan of Philadelphia, if you’re just a fan of basketball, you can’t take Jo for granted, man. What he’s doing right now is special.

“… He’s doing so much out there. And you know, the kicker is he’s on the other end, he’s anchoring the defense as well. He’s not taking any nights off on defense. So, you know, we appreciate him, and everybody else should appreciate him, as well.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Dave Joerger, who spent three seasons on Doc Rivers‘ staff in Philadelphia, is receiving consideration to join the Bucks as an assistant, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Rivers and Bucks general manager Jon Horst are expected to work together to finalize any additions to Milwaukee’s coaching staff, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT.
Examining the Terry Rozier trade between the Heat and Hornets, John Hollinger of The Athletic wonders if this deal is a sign that there won’t be any blockbuster trades completed at the deadline. As Hollinger explains, Miami’s front office typically prefers to use its assets to go star-hunting on the trade market, so if the the Heat were willing to give up a first-round pick for Rozier, they may have felt as if no impact players will become available at the 11th hour.
Elsewhere at The Athletic, Jared Weiss and William Guillory take a closer look at what the Heat‘s Rozier acquisition means for the teams at the top of the East. As The Athletic’s duo points out, there’s a good deal of overlap between Rozier’s and Tyler Herro‘s skill sets, so it may be a challenge to play them together in the postseason when their relative lack of size makes them susceptible to being hunted on defense.
In a comprehensive Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks breaks down the trade deadline for the 15 Eastern Conference teams, outlining the assets at their disposal and what sorts of deals might make sense for each club.

Clarifying The NBA’s New Rule On Post-Buyout Signings

January 24th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s trade deadline is just 15 days away, which means we’re nearly in buyout season. Several veteran players on lottery-bound teams who are in the final year of their respective contracts will become candidates to be bought out if they’re not traded to a new team on or before February 8.

When the league and the players’ union finalized a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2023, they agreed to a new rule that affects the buyout market. This rule hasn’t been a factor yet this season, but it will likely be relevant in the coming weeks. And in the wake of the deal that sent Kyle Lowry to Charlotte, making him a buyout candidate, I’ve seen some confusion about how the rule works and which players are affected, so we’ll offer some clarity here.

First, here’s the new rule: A team whose salary is above either the first or second tax apron is not permitted to sign a free agent on the buyout market if his pre-waiver salary exceeded the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

For the 2023/24 season, that means that any team whose taxable salary is above $172,346,000 is ineligible to sign a player who was cut this season if he was earning more than $12,405,000.

This applies to both buyouts and standard waivers, so regardless of whether or not the player agreed to give up any money as part of his release, he’s ineligible to sign with an apron team if he had been earning more than $12,405,000.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN noted earlier this week (via Twitter), these are the clubs whose team salaries are currently above the apron levels:

Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Phoenix Suns

That means that a player like Lowry, whose $29.7MM salary far exceeds the mid-level exception, would currently be ineligible to sign with one of those seven teams if he’s bought out by the Hornets. However, that list of teams is subject to change as rosters changes and salaries fluctuate.

The Heat, for instance, reduced their payroll in the deal that sent out Lowry for Terry Rozier, whose cap charge is several million dollars smaller than Lowry’s. The Heat are currently above the first apron but well below the second, per Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom, so if they were to further trim their payroll, they could gain the ability to sign any player on the buyout market (well, with the exception of Lowry, due to a separate rule prohibiting a team from re-signing a player it traded if he’s waived by his new team).

Conversely, if a team like the Sixers, whose salary is currently less than $3MM shy of the first apron, took on several million dollars in salary in a deadline trade, they’d become ineligible to sign a player like Lowry in the buyout market.

A team can be above the luxury tax line but remain eligible to sign a player on the buyout market, since there’s a gap of approximately $7MM between the tax threshold ($165,294,000) and the first apron. The Lakers, for example, currently project to be a taxpayer, but they have enough room below the apron to ensure this restriction won’t apply to them.

In order to be eligible to sign a player who had been earning more than $12,405,000, the team must have a salary below the first apron upon the completion of the signing — that means a team whose salary is $1MM below the apron can’t offer a player a rest-of-season contract worth $1.2MM.

If a team were to sign a player like Lowry or Gordon Hayward (who is earning $31.5MM) on the buyout market, that club would subsequently be hard-capped at the first apron and would be prohibited from having its salary exceed $172,346,000 for the rest of the season.

Outside of Lowry, Hayward, and perhaps Knicks wing Evan Fournier, it doesn’t look like there will be many buyout candidates earning above the mid-level who would be particularly intriguing on the free agent market.

Players like Gary Harris, Marcus Morris, or Doug McDermott would certainly draw interest, but I don’t see them as viable candidates for buyouts unless they’re traded to a team that views them as a pure salary-matching chip. Guys like Davis Bertans and Joe Harris may appeal to a team in need of shooting, but they’ve barely played this season, so if they were bought out, the competition for their services may not be particularly fierce.

Still, even if this rule only affects a couple players this season, it’s worth keeping in mind. After all, several of the teams in that aforementioned group of seven are legitimate championship contenders. Those are the sorts of clubs that would benefit most from adding one more depth piece, so the fact that that they won’t have access to certain targets on the buyout market is noteworthy.

Trade Rumors: Bucks Targets, Payne, Allen, Suns, Hornets, Kuzma

January 24th, 2024 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks don’t have a ton of trade assets left after completing blockbuster deals in recent years for Jrue Holiday and then Damian Lillard, but they’re perusing the market in an effort to upgrade their perimeter defense, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, the Bucks have contacted teams to gauge the value of Portland’s 2024 second-round pick, which Milwaukee controls — it currently projects to be 35th overall, making it more valuable than a typical second-rounder. The team is exploring deals that would package that pick with wing Pat Connaughton and guard Cameron Payne, sources tell Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer explains, Payne fell out of Adrian Griffin‘s rotation earlier this month, but it’s possible new head coach Doc Rivers will want to use him more. If not, the veteran point guard would be “amenable” to a change of scenery, Fischer writes.

While the Bucks would love to acquire a player like Hawks guard Dejounte Murray or Raptors wing Bruce Brown, Bobby Portis‘ $11.7MM cap hit would almost certainly need to be includd in order to match their salaries, Fischer notes. Additionally, Atlanta and Toronto are seeking the sort of packages – two first-round picks and a starter-level player for Murray and a first-round picks for Brown – which the Bucks may not be able to offer, given their lack of tradable first-rounders.

Chicago guard Alex Caruso is likely also out of Milwaukee’s reach, given that the Bulls aren’t inclined to move him and would seek multiple first-rounders if they did, says Fischer. Players like Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle and Clippers forward P.J. Tucker may be more attainable, Fischer suggests. However, Tucker’s appeal is limited, and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report points out (via Twitter) that Thybulle has veto rights and may not be eager to play for Rivers again.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Suns are no longer considering the possibility of trading Grayson Allen at the deadline, league sources tell Fischer. Fischer reported last week that Phoenix was gauging what a package of Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, but that seemed like it was more about due diligence, given how well the former Duke star has played this season.
Responding to reports from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports and Trevor Booth of Clutch Points stating that the Suns have interest in Miles Bridges and Nick Richards of the Hornets, John Gambadoro of Arizons Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) throws cold water on the Richards speculation, but suggests Phoenix could be in the mix for Bridges if the price is right.
While Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has been viewed as a potential in-season trade candidate, he’s under contract for several more years and Washington appears to be in no rush to move him, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on The Woj Pod. “Washington’s been very reticent with Kyle Kuzma,” Wojnarowski said (hat tip to RealGM). “… Teams tell me they call them and they’re not getting counters from Washington. If you want to register an offer for Kuzma, fine, you can do it. But they’re not at the point now where it seems like they’re really active in seriously trying to move him. It could change by the deadline, but I know (Wizards executives) Michael Winger and Will Dawkins like Kuzma, like having him there. I think they’ll be particular about what they might do.”

Latest On Bucks’ Coaching Situation

January 23rd, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks have reached out to Doc Rivers to discuss having him take over their head coaching job, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms.

As reported earlier in the day, Rivers is the top choice to replace first-year coach Adrian Griffin, who was abruptly fired on Tuesday.

CNN Sports, as relayed by the NBA on TNT, reported on Tuesday night that Rivers had accepted the position (video link). However, that report has yet to be corroborated by other media outlets.

Rivers already has a connection to the Bucks, having informally served as a consultant for Griffin this season at the behest of the club.

Here’s more on the Bucks’ coaching situation:

Griffin offered a diplomatic answer to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report regarding his dismissal: “I appreciate the opportunity the Bucks gave me. You can’t control everything,” Griffin said in a phone interview. “I feel good about the job we did. I appreciate my coaching staff for all their hard work. I always wanted to be a head coach in this league. I couldn’t have asked for a better roster. I got to coach Giannis (Antetokounpo), Dame (Lillard), Khris (Middleton), Brook (Lopez). Dream come true. Hopefully, I get another shot at it, but overall, I’m just thankful.”
Bucks general manager Jon Horst and assistant GM Milt Newton began closely observing practices and shootarounds in the last 10 days or so, Haynes reports in the same story. That began raising the eyebrows of the coaching staff and players. If they don’t land Rivers, the Bucks also have Jeff Van Gundy and Nate McMillan on their short list of candidates, Haynes adds.
Griffin met with his top four players after the team’s loss to Indiana during the in-season tournament last month and they all spoke about what was working, what wasn’t working and how they could best be utilized. Griffin told the players that sacrifices were required, but bickering in the locker room continued shortly thereafter.
Griffin was hired at the endorsement of Antetokounmpo, but that endorsement had more to do with whom the two-time MVP didn’t want as head coach, writes Marc Stein at Substack. Nick Nurse was high on the Bucks’ list of candidates before he was hired by the Sixers, according to Stein, who says Antetokounmpo wanted the franchise to go in a different direction and chose to back Griffin. Moving on from Griffin now was a far easier move than finding a difference-making trade, given Milwaukee’s limited assets, Stein adds.
When Lillard’s former head coach, Terry Stotts, chose to resign from the Bucks’ staff just prior to the season opener, the reason was that Griffin felt that he was being undermined by Stotts, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Stotts was brought in to mentor Griffin but they clashed on scheme and philosophy.

Team USA Announces 41-Player Pool For 2024 Olympics

January 23rd, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced a pool of 41 players who are in the mix for the 12 spots on the 2024 Olympic men’s basketball team.

While the pool is subject to change, Team USA’s 12-man roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics will, in all likelihood, be made up of players from this group.

The list figures to shrink as the summer nears due to players suffering injuries or opting not to participate for other reasons, but at some point prior to the July event the U.S. decision-makers will have to choose a final roster from the remaining candidates.

Here’s the full list of 41 players, 28 of whom have represented Team USA in a previous World Cup or Olympics:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
Paolo Banchero (Magic)
Desmond Bane (Grizzlies)
Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Mikal Bridges (Nets)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Alex Caruso (Bulls)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Kevin Durant (Suns)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
Paul George (Clippers)
Aaron Gordon (Nuggets)
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
James Harden (Clippers)
Josh Hart (Knicks)
Tyler Herro (Heat)
Jrue Holiday (Celtics)
Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Mavericks)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
LeBron James (Lakers)
Cameron Johnson (Nets)
Walker Kessler (Jazz)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
Chris Paul (Warriors)
Bobby Portis (Bucks)
Austin Reaves (Lakers)
Duncan Robinson (Heat)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Derrick White (Celtics)
Trae Young (Hawks)

Adebayo, Booker, Durant, Holiday, Lillard, and Tatum were part of the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo in 2021. Jerami Grant, Draymond Green, Keldon Johnson, Zach LaVine, JaVale McGee, and Khris Middleton were also on that roster, but aren’t part of the preliminary pool this time around. It’s possible some of them turned down invitations.

“The United States boasts unbelievable basketball talent and I am thrilled that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games,” national team managing director Grant Hill said in a statement. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us toward the goal of once again standing atop the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next several months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity.”

USA Basketball also announced today that Team USA will face Team Canada in Las Vegas on July 10 in an exhibition game. It sounds like that contest will take place during the NBA’s 2024 Summer League.

Bucks Rumors: Rivers, Atkinson, Griffin, Lillard

January 23rd, 2024 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the dismissal of Adrian Griffin just 43 games into his head coaching career, the Bucks have opened discussions with Doc Rivers to become the team’s new permanent head coach, league sources tell Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Eric Nehm of The Athletic. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), however, hears that the two sides have yet to talk.

Either way, it sounds like Rivers is the leading candidate to supplant Griffin as the head coach in Milwaukee. Wojnarowski acknowledges that Rivers is a “top target” and says the team is expected to reach out soon to gauge his interest.

Rivers already has a connection to the Bucks, having informally served as a consultant for Griffin this season at the behest of the club, according to The Athletic’s report. League sources tell Charania, Amick, and Nehm that the Bucks reached out to Rivers in order to organize a meeting between him and Griffin at the in-season tournament in Las Vegas last month.

The hope was that Rivers would be able to offer some advice and guidance to the first-time head coach about how to navigate the pressure of leading a team with championship expectations, per The Athletic. Following the resignation of assistant Terry Stotts ahead of the regular season, Griffin didn’t have any veteran head coaches on his staff with that sort of experience.

If Rivers and the Bucks don’t end up agreeing to a deal, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is considered another strong candidate for the job, according to Charania, Amick, and Nehm. Atkinson was a runner-up to Griffin in Milwaukee’s head coaching search last spring.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

Bucks players began questioning Griffin’s strategies and schemes on both ends of the court earlier this season, and those questions grew louder in recent weeks as the team failed to show significant growth, according to The Athletic’s report. Milwaukee has gone just 6-5 in January and there were concerns about Griffin’s ability to communicate his vision to his players.
The Bucks’ declining effectiveness on the defensive end and the use of Damian Lillard on offense are among the factors that contributed to Griffin’s exit, per Charania, Amick, and Nehm. League sources tell The Athletic that Lillard – whose usage rate is at 27.9%, his lowest mark since 2014/15 – “has spent much of this season struggling with the way the Bucks function on the offensive end.”
There wasn’t one single reason why Stotts stepped down from his position before the season began, according to The Athletic’s reporters, who say he and Griffin were never exactly on the same page about the veteran assistant’s role and responsibilities. Their disagreements came to a head and resulted in a brief verbal confrontation during an October 17 shootaround in Oklahoma City, with Stotts feeling disrespected by how he was treated.

Bucks Dismiss Head Coach Adrian Griffin

January 23rd, 2024 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

2:46pm: The Bucks have made it official, announcing in a press release that Griffin has been dismissed from his position with the team and that Prunty will serve as the interim head coach.

“This was a difficult decision to make during the season,” general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.”

1:43pm: The Bucks are making a head coaching change, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is dismissing Adrian Griffin.

It’s a shocking turn of events for a Bucks team whose 30-13 record is tied for second-best in the NBA, and for Griffin, who was in his first year as a head coach, having been hired by Milwaukee last June. The former Raptors assistant reportedly had the support of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo at the time of his hiring.

Still, while the Bucks have an excellent record and the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (120.6), the club’s defensive performance has fallen off sharply under Griffin. Milwaukee’s 116.8 defensive rating ranks 22nd in the league; last season, the team had the NBA’s fourth-best defense.

Setting aside the Bucks’ defensive struggles – which can be partly attributed to personnel changes, including losing perimeter stopper Jrue Holiday – it hasn’t all been smooth sailing in Milwaukee so far this season.

Griffin’s top assistant coach, Terry Stotts, unexpectedly and abruptly stepped down from his position just before the regular season began; Antetokounmpo and Griffin had a heated on-court disagreement in November; and Bobby Portis reportedly challenged the head coach during a locker-room meeting following December’s in-season tournament semifinal loss to Indiana.

According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), there have been “steady rumblings” in NBA circles in recent weeks that multiple Bucks veterans, including Giannis, had been losing faith in the first-time head coach.

We’ll likely hear more details in the coming hours or days about why the Bucks felt the need to make a change, but the move feels reminiscent of the 30-11 Cavaliers replacing David Blatt during the 2015/16 season. In that instance, the team recognized that things weren’t quite right with Blatt at the helm and made a move in the hopes of increasing its championship upside — Cleveland won the title a few months later.

Griffin will exit his first head coaching job with the fourth-best winning percentage (.698) in NBA history, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (via Twitter). Bucks assistant Joe Prunty is expected to take over as Milwaukee’s head coach on an interim basis, reports Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), this will be the third time that Prunty has taken over as an interim head coach during a season. He also did so in Milwaukee following the firing of Jason Kidd in 2018 and last season in Atlanta after Nate McMillan was let go.

Prunty likely won’t be the long-term answer on the Bucks’ bench though. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links) both say that Doc Rivers is a strong contender for the permanent job, while Wojnarowski tweets that Milwaukee is expected to look at a pool of “accomplished and available” veteran coaches, including Rivers.

The Bucks’ next game is on Wednesday at home vs. the Cavaliers.

Central Notes: Beasley, Siakam, Nance, Pistons

January 21st, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Speaking to Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link), Bucks shooting guard Malik Beasley explained the thinking behind his decision to sign Milwaukee over the summer when he reached unrestricted free agency.

“Definitely wanted to win a championship, that was one of my goals,” Beasley said. “I felt that I’m at a point in my career where I just want to win and do whatever I can for the team. With the Bucks I felt like the dynamic of Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and being able to space the floor for them, I felt like that was huge. I looked into all that, making sure I would be able to get some reps, making sure I’d be able to get some playing time.”

“I do feel like I’m one of the best shooters in the league,” Beasley added. “I’m not try to be cocky or anything, I’m just confident.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Pascal Siakam‘s new Pacers teammates were encouraged by his strong debut for the club, a 21-point showing in a 118-115 loss to the Trail Blazers, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “We were just learning how to go on the fly, just going off our basketball brains,” All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “It’s like playing pickup a little bit out there. That’s the exciting part for us I think is we get back here is, we played alright, but there’s so much more room for us.”
Cavaliers 10-day signee Pete Nance is reveling in his opportunity to play for his favorite team, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). “It’s surreal,” Nance told Fedor. “The goal was to get a call-up from the G League at some point, but to have it be the Cavs, it’s just a really cool thing for me. I’m super excited. I grew up a lifelong Cavs fan. Something I’ve thought about my whole life. I’ve been working for this my whole life. It’s a dream come true.” Pete’s father Larry Nance played for the Cavs from 1988-94, while his brother Larry Nance Jr. was with the team from 2018-21.
The struggling Pistons face an intriguing trade deadline. In a new reader mailbag, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) unpacks Detroit’s options, suggesting that the team will essentially view the trade deadline as an opportunity to get a head-start on the offseason by adding players who will be with the team beyond this season.