Milwaukee Bucks exec dismisses report about coaching candidates

MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 22: General Manager Jon Horst speaks to media about the letting go of head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks Jason Kidd before game against the Phoenix Suns on January 22, 2018 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Milwaukee Bucks have surely started a search to replace Jason Kidd long-term, but Alex Lasry is having none of a report saying so.

On Jan. 22, Jason Kidd was fired as Milwaukee Bucks head coach. Since then, they are 14-11 under interim coach Joe Prunty, as they’ve fallen to the final playoff spot in the East with 12 games to go. They have a six-game lead on the ninth place Detroit Pistons, and they’re only 2.5 games back of sixth-place Philadelphia. So barring a complete collapse, Milwaukee will make the playoffs.

In one of his latest pieces, Marc Stein of the New York Times took a look at coaching situations around the league. The Bucks are obviously among them, as they look for a long-term replacement for Kidd and with Prunty as an unlikely candidate.

Stein brought up three big names as potential candidates in Milwaukee: Jeff Van Gundy, Kevin McHale and Rick Pitino. Van Gundy and McHale are broadcasters, for ESPN and TNT/NBA TV, respectively, while Pitino has hired an agent to explore coaching opportunities after being fired in disgrace by Louisville last fall. Stein also mentioned previously rumored candidates David Fizdale and Monty Williams in his reporting.

But Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry is having none of what he sees as noise about a coaching search that has probably already started to some degree.

The season is still going on. There are no candidates and there is no list. What is happening today?!?!?!? https://t.co/JqK795yWKe
— Alex Lasry (@AlexLasryWI) March 20, 2018

A move to a new arena is coming next season, and Bucks ownership may seek a big splash with a coaching hire. So general manager Jon Horst has to have started a search of some level, if only to find out if candidates like Van Gundy, McHale or Pitino have interest in the job.

Pitino said he had an informal discussion with an NBA team about a potential opening, and it was easy to draw a line to the Bucks even before Stein’s report.

Lasry may not be privy to anything about the nuts and bolts of a coaching search, or he thinks everyone outside the organization is naive. Or maybe the Bucks really don’t have any sort of list of candidates to replace Kidd, which presents a problem all its own.

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