Jenkins is the perfect fit for Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Bucks have their guy.
The team officially announced Taylor Jenkins as the 19th head coach in franchise history on Thursday, ending a search that felt like a foregone conclusion ever since reports surfaced a week ago that both sides were finalizing a deal.
Jenkins takes over a Bucks team that just finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Doc Rivers stepped down a day after the season ended, and Milwaukee wasted no time finding his replacement.
What Jenkins Brings to Milwaukee
This is not a stranger walking into Fiserv Forum.
Jenkins spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant on Mike Budenholzer's staff in Milwaukee, the same year the Bucks posted an NBA-best 60-22 record and Giannis Antetokounmpo won the first of his two MVP awards.
Jenkins already has a relationship with the franchise's biggest star, and that matters right now more than anything.
"I know first-hand how important this team is to Bucks fans and the City of Milwaukee, and I'm so excited to get to work," Jenkins said in a team statement.
From there, Jenkins went to Memphis and built something real.
He went 250-214 across six seasons with the Grizzlies, leading the franchise to three straight playoff appearances from 2021 to 2023 while racking up the most coaching wins in Grizzlies history.
The ownership group noticed all of that.
"Taylor's attention to detail, toughness and communication skills make it clear that he knows how to cultivate a winning culture," Bucks owners Wes Edens, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, and Jamie Dinan said in a statement.
Why This Hire Works Either Way
The elephant in the room is Giannis.
The two-time MVP averaged 27.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists this season but is eligible to become a free agent after next year if he does not sign a four-year, $275 million extension in October.
His future in Milwaukee remains uncertain, and the Jenkins hire speaks to that uncertainty in a smart way.
If Giannis stays, Jenkins has already shown he can build around a dominant star.
If Giannis gets traded, Jenkins has the track record of developing young talent, something he proved in Memphis with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane.
Milwaukee already has pieces that fit that mold.
Ryan Rollins broke out this season averaging 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 40.6 percent from three, and Ousmane Dieng showed flashes of what he can become.
Jenkins is the type of coach who can get the most out of young players while keeping the franchise competitive no matter which direction things go.
General manager Jon Horst called Jenkins "the right fit to take our team to the next level."
Whether that next level involves Giannis or a full reset, Jenkins has the resume and flexibility to handle both paths.
Milwaukee needed a coach who could navigate what is coming next, and that is exactly who they hired.