Not everyone with Bucks wanted Nick Nurse as head coach?

Mar 8, 2020; Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse gives instructions during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks surprised many people on Saturday when it was reported that they would be hiring Adrian Griffin as their next head coach.

Nick Nurse was also a candidate for the job, and he recently won a championship with the Toronto Raptors (in 2019). Griffin is a former NBA player who has been an assistant coach since 2008. He has been an assistant with the Raptors since 2018, which is when Nurse took over in Toronto.

So why would the Bucks go with Griffin over Nurse? It’s possible that Nurse decided he preferred another job instead (one report said he withdrew from consideration). But it’s also possible that the Bucks just preferred Griffin to Nurse.

SNY’s Ian Begley reported on Friday that “not all key stakeholders in Milwaukee were aligned on Nurse.”

Nurse is also believed to be a candidate for the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers jobs. If Nurse quickly ends up with a new job, maybe that will be a sign that he preferred a different team. But if not, it’s quite possible that the Bucks just preferred to hire Griffin instead.