Did Bucks plant seeds for Doc Rivers move weeks ago?

Mar 22, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers enters the building before the game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday fired head coach Adrian Griffin. Was veteran coach Doc Rivers already being set up as a backup plan weeks prior?

The Bucks have been heavily linked to Rivers in the wake of Griffin’s dismissal. Despite Griffin’s firing only taking place this week, Rivers had reportedly been involved with the Bucks for over a month already.

According to Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Eric Nehm of The Athletic, the Bucks brass hired Rivers to serve as an “informal consultant to Griffin” beginning in early December.

The Bucks were said to have reached out to Rivers last month during the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals held in Las Vegas, Nev. The team reportedly set up a meeting between Rivers, who was in Vegas at the time as an ESPN broadcaster, and Griffin to initiate a mentor-mentee relationship between the two.

With Griffin out of the picture, Rivers immediately became the logical option for Milwaukee.

The Bucks initially employed veteran coach Terry Stotts to serve the role Rivers ended up filling. But Stotts stepped down before the 2023-24 season even began after getting into an “incident” with Griffin during a preseason shootaround.

The Bucks had a 30-13 record and held the 2nd seed in the East upon Griffin’s firing. Despite the solid performance on paper, the team has been plagued with defensive issues and locker room turmoil that didn’t appear to be going away.

One veteran Bucks player even “challenged” Griffin after the team was eliminated from the In-Season Tournament by the Indiana Pacers.

With the Bucks currently all-in on winning a championship, finding proper direction at the coaching position has clearly become paramount in Milwaukee.