After falling to the Miami Heat to drop their third straight game (seventh in their last eight contests), the Milwaukee Bucks are pretty much out of the play-in picture (six games back from the No. 10 spot).
A lot has gone wrong this year for the Bucks. Blame can't be cast on just one individual. But head coach Doc Rivers certiantly hasn't done anything to remedy the situation, and it is likely time for him to go back to the broadcast booth.
I’m not sure the Bucks made it three passes without a shot or turnover from when this was reported on the broadcast to the end of the quarter. These dudes are tuned out https://t.co/vetWPyPE09
— Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch) March 13, 2026
With this in mind, here are five potential names the Bucks could look to replace Rivers with, if they decide to go in that direction this offseason (they probably should).
Michael Malone
- Regular season record:Â 510-394
- Playoff record:44-36, 1 NBA title
After an abrupt end to his tenure with the Denver Nuggets, Michael Malone took a year off coaching to hang out with Stephen A. Smith. I wouldn't worry too much about the variables that caused his time with the Nuggets to end. Seems like two dudes who just really couldn't see eye-to-eye.
Malone has the old school grittiness you need to teach a group of guys how to buy into the defensive side of the ball. But unlike someone like Tom Thibodeau, Malone has shown the offensive creativity to win the big game -- guiding the Nuggets to their only NBA Championship in franchise history.
Even if the Bucks decide they want to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, Malone could still be a good option given his experience building a winner from the ground up. When Malone first started at Denver in 2015, they had won just 30 games the season prior and 33 games in his first season.
Sam Cassell
- Regular season record:Â n/a
- Playoff record:Â n/a
As a general rule, I am usually against the hometown hero returning to become a head coach. I feel like it hardly ever ends well (Jason Kidd may be the one exception to the rule). So, prescribing that Sam Cassell return to coach the team he played nearly a half decade for is a bit hypocritical.
But I feel like it is okay to make an exception here because Cassell isn't just some former player getting to skip steps in the chain of command because of his gravitas. Cassell has paid his dues. Since returning in 2008, Cassell has spent the last 18 years as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics (his current employer).
Every year, John Schuhmann of NBA.com runs a GM survey asking who the best assistant coach in basketball is. Cassell's name has shown up in the top 4 in each of the last three seasons. In a league where first-time head coaches (Jordan Ott, Charles Lee, Joe Mazzulla, etc.) are breathing new life into their respective organizations, going with someone like Cassell may be the antidote in Milwaukee.
Taylor Jenkins
- Regular season record: 250-214
- Playoff record:Â 9-14
Like Malone, Taylor Jenkins was let go for reasons outside of his ability to drive winning. Before being let go, Jenkins and the Memphis Grizzlies took the league by storm with an unorthodox offense that limited ballscreens and increased isolation drives.
Even when they were a top dog in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks offense has become pretty predictable around Antetokounmpo. Maybe they could sell the two-time MVP on the prospect of a career-year under a revamped offense?
If Antetokounmpo isn't sold on this hire, Jenkins also displayed a black belt in player development during his time with the Grizzlies. He could be the perfect guy to help navigate the organization through what would be a long and ardous rebuilding phase.
Micah Nori
- Regular season record:Â n/a
- Playoff record:Â n/a
You know how we just raved about Malone? Well, two years ago, Malone was basically beat in the Western Conference semifinals by a team that was led by one Micah Nori -- who was the "sitting" head coach while Chris Finch was recovering from a torn patellar tendon.
Other than that highly-contentious seven-game series, Nori has never had the chance to lead his own teams. However, that isn't because he's not good enough. Nori has spent 17 years as an assistant with the Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, and Denver Nuggets. He's also taken the top spot in Schuhmann's aforementioned survey in each of the last two seasons.
Nori's time is coming. Let's see if the Bucks are smart enough to be the ones who make it happen.
James Borrego
- Regular season record:Â 148-183 (.447)
- Playoff record:Â 0-0
If the New Orleans Pelicans decide not to remove the interim tag from James Borrego's job description, the Bucks should consider hiring him to replace Rivers.
Of the coaches we've mentioned, Borrego is the best offensive mind of the bunch -- winning two titles in San Antonio as Greg Popovich's offensive coordinator. Even more so than Jenkins, Borrego could offer Antetokounmpo the chance to have the best offensive season of his life.
Borrego isn't as young as Jenkins, but he still has a knack for developing players. Remember, before this year, no coach had gotten more out of the LaMelo Ball-led Charlotte Hornets than Borrego.