NBA: Bucks coach Doc Rivers hints at potential retirement

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers gave a pointed response about his coaching future ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.

“I won’t answer that, but I have grandkids that I want to see,” Rivers said. “I’ll put it that way. I have seven grandkids now, and they’re all 8 years and under. It kills me every time I miss Grandparents’ Day with each one of them in school. It’s probably time to go see them more, so I’ll let you figure out the rest.”

Speculation about Rivers’ future has been growing. Marc Stein of TheSteinLine.com reported Sunday that the Bucks and Rivers could be heading toward either a parting of ways or a restructuring of his role, potentially moving him into a front-office position. Stein cited former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins as a possible replacement.

Rivers, 64, will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this August. After a 13-year NBA playing career, he is in his 27th season as a head coach and his third with Milwaukee. He led the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship in 2007-08 and has reached the playoffs 21 times. His 1,193 career regular-season wins rank sixth all-time and are the most among active coaches. Rivers has also held coaching stints with the Orlando Magic (1999-2004), Celtics (2004-13), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-20), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23), and Bucks (2024-26).

This season’s Bucks squad (31-48) marks just the second time in 19 seasons that a Rivers-coached team has missed the playoffs.

Rivers has one year remaining on his contract. When asked about Rivers’ future, Bucks general manager Jon Horst told The Athletic, “I value his input. I don’t know the outcome; we’re gonna figure it all out. I think we’ll figure it all out pretty quickly and what that looks like going forward. I don’t know yet, but I think we will know.”

– Field Level Media/Reuters