Rivers might actually be done with the bench.
Doc Rivers walked away from the Milwaukee Bucks on April 13 after a brutal 32-50 season, and just a few days later he went on The Bill Simmons Podcast to address whether he would ever coach again.
His answer was about as final as it gets.
"I think it was time," Rivers told Simmons. "I told my coaches, I'm done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I've given 47 years or whatever. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general. I'd be surprised if I coached another game."
A Tenure That Never Found Its Footing
Rivers took over the Bucks midway through the 2023-24 season after Milwaukee fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin, despite Griffin posting a 30-13 record at the time.
The hope was that a veteran coach with a championship on his resume could push Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard toward a title, but Milwaukee went 17-19 under Rivers to finish that first season and then lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first round with Antetokounmpo missing the entire series due to a calf strain.
The 2024-25 season brought more of the same frustration, as the Bucks went 48-34 but fell to the Pacers again in the opening round and Lillard tore his Achilles in Game 4, an injury that changed the direction of the franchise.
Milwaukee waived Lillard over the summer and signed Myles Turner hoping to retool around Antetokounmpo, but the bottom fell out this season with injuries piling up across the roster.
Antetokounmpo played just 36 games this season and averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists before being shut down in March with a knee injury.
Bobby Portis stepped into a bigger role and averaged 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds, but the Bucks lacked the depth and health to stay competitive, and Rivers finished his Milwaukee tenure with a 97-103 record across two and a half seasons.
What Comes Next in Milwaukee
The Bucks now face their third coaching search in five seasons, and the stakes feel higher than ever with Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee uncertain.
Several names have already surfaced as candidates to replace Rivers, with Taylor Jenkins considered the frontrunner by multiple reports after being fired by the Memphis Grizzlies last year and having previously served on Mike Budenholzer's staff in Milwaukee during 2018-19.
Sam Cassell, the longtime Boston Celtics assistant who played for the Bucks during his career, is another name gaining traction.
Tom Thibodeau, who was let go by the New York Knicks last summer, and Sean Sweeney of the San Antonio Spurs have also been mentioned as possibilities.
Rivers will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in August, and he ranks sixth all-time in coaching wins with 1,194.
His legacy across stops in Orlando, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee is secure even if the ending was rough, but for Milwaukee the real work is just getting started.