Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t the only one ready to leave the Milwaukee Bucks after this season, according to Stephen A. Smith, Doc Rivers is on his way out too.
During his Wednesday afternoon SiriusXM show on Mad Dog Sports Radio, Smith took a call from a listener suggesting Ja Morant would benefit from a trade out of Memphis and having Rivers as his next coach. Smith, however, interjected to note that’s not going to happen, because Rivers won’t be coaching after this season.
“It’s not gonna be Doc Rivers because Doc Rivers is gonna retire at the end of this season,” Smith bluntly stated. “Doc Rivers has been coaching for close to 25 years, this is it for him. He’s gonna step away.”
Rivers has attempted to fend off rumors about Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks throughout this season, now he might be tasked with addressing his own status with Milwaukee.
The Doc Rivers experiment with the Bucks has been a disaster. Prior to Rivers being hired, the Bucks were perennial championship contenders with a 30-13 record under first-year head coach. With Rivers, the Bucks have a 91-88 record and haven’t been able to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs. And this year, the Bucks’ playoff chances are fading fast in what is widely believed to be Antetokounmpo’s final season with Milwaukee.
Retirement is logical for Rivers who is still under contract next season after signing a $40 million deal to replace Griffin in 2024. But the 64-year-old has shown little interest in being part of a rebuild during the back half of his head coaching career. And considering the way his current tenure in Milwaukee has gone, the Bucks similarly might not be interested in Rivers leading them through any rebuild.
If Doc Rivers does retire from coaching, it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll have any interest in rejoining Stephen A. Smith as a colleague at ESPN. Prior to joining the Bucks midseason in 2024, Rivers was tasked with replacing Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson as ESPN’s lead NBA analyst alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke. And prior to his departure from ESPN, Rivers was really good.
Since Rivers’ departure from ESPN, their top NBA booth has continued to be a revolving door of analysts. JJ Redick came and went, Richard Jefferson joined, Doris Burke was demoted, and Tim Legler was added. ESPN might have no interest in reuniting with Rivers because of the way he left them hanging two years ago. But considering their longtime personal friendship, Breen probably won’t hold Rivers’ abrupt exit from ESPN against him.
The first step in Doc Rivers even considering a return to media, however, will be confirming Stephen A. Smith’s report and retiring from coaching.