Doc Rivers has agreed to a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks to serve as the organization’s next head coach, according to a report from ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Rivers enters the role less than a season removed from his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, during which he compiled a 154-82 record, but was unable to lead his team past the Eastern Conference semifinals. Milwaukee currently holds the second-best record in the Eastern Conference (30-13), but it still fired its first-year head coach Adrian Griffin nonetheless.
Sources told ESPN that the sides were negotiating late on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning to come to terms on a deal. Rivers, who had reportedly consulted with the Bucks during the season, will now look to attain his second NBA championship as a coach after a 13-year career as an active player.
The hiring will lead to questions regarding ESPN’s lead NBA booth, which is slated to call the NBA Finals this June on ABC in the penultimate year of The Walt Disney Company’s existing media rights deal. As part of talent layoffs over the summer, the network let go of longtime analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, reshuffling its commentary teams. Jackson and Van Gundy worked with play-by-play announcer Mike Breen to call a record 15 NBA Finals together.
Breen has worked with Rivers and co-analyst Doris Burke throughout the year, including calling the inaugural In-Season Tournament. ESPN has yet to divulge plans for the future of its lead NBA booth, which has several marquee matchups remaining on the docket before transitioning into its broadcast of the playoffs.
Ahead of the regular season, ESPN named a No. 2 NBA broadcast team of Ryan Ruocco, Richard Jefferson and JJ Redick that has called several games throughout the regular season. ESPN’s head of event and studio production, Dave Roberts, called the broadcasters “a potential making of a succession plan” prior to the season while addressing the media.
Former Golden State Warriors general manager and four-time NBA champion Bob Myers joined ESPN before the season, appearing on NBA Countdown and calling several games. Additionally, the network added various former NBA players in different roles, including Andre Iguodala, Austin Rivers and Scott Perry. The network also extended two-time WNBA champion Becky Hammon and former WNBA head coach Stephanie White.
