On Tuesday, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers suggested his head-coaching days with Milwaukee could be coming to an end. When asked how long he envisions coaching in the NBA, the Hall of Fame coach answered with family on his mind.

“I won’t answer that, but I have grandkids that I want to see,” Rivers, whose contract runs through next season, told media members Tuesday. “I’ll let you figure it out from there. I have seven grandkids now, and they’re all 8 years and under, and it kills me every time I miss grandparents day with each one of them in school. It’s probably time to go see them more, so I’ll let you figure out the rest.”

It was the second time in the last week Rivers has made a comment about his future that has raised eyebrows among reporters. Before the Bucks’ 123-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks on March 31, the Bucks’ head coach gave an interesting response to a rather innocuous question about how much he enjoyed the Sixth Man Soiree, the team’s annual charity gala, on March 30.

“(The event) was awesome,” Rivers told reporters. “I would say this, you know, we’re asked a lot of questions and you know, and this is me just in general about the season and stuff like that, and it’s been a rough season. And I keep saying that. When I was brought here two years ago, 2 1/2 years ago, I was brought into here to take the team to the next level and that just never happened, never materialized. It didn’t matter the why.

“From a coaching perspective, you feel like the city that you’re from, you didn’t get the job done, and that is something I carry very heavy with me. But having said that, this city has been phenomenal, and the support and the fans here, and we didn’t say that enough last year. That’s pretty cool. To get back here and feel that, that’s been awesome.”

The continued uncertainty in Rivers’ comments is an extension of what appears to be an uncertain future for the team. With two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo being injured for most of the season, the Bucks will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016, with Rivers’ tenure being filled with challenges after he replaced Adrian Griffin as Bucks head coach halfway through the 2023-24 season.

The Bucks and Antetokounmpo have been at odds over the latter’s injury status in recent weeks, with the 2021 NBA Finals MVP recently questioning his relationship with the team as he sits out games at the end of a frustrating season. He could be back on the trade market once the summer hits, which could be a final straw for Rivers’ tenure with the Bucks, given his 27 seasons on the NBA sidelines.

During that time, he’s amassed the sixth-most regular-season wins among coaches, having led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 title to snap a decades-long drought and 21 playoff runs with five different franchises (Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, LA Clippers being the others). But there have been challenges in Rivers’ coaching career, including what might be his final stop. Griffin went 30-13 as Bucks’ head coach before being fired and seeing Rivers take over.

Since then, Milwaukee has a sub-.500 record and has struggled to play strong basketball without Antetokounmpo. Rivers has recently said being limited on stars has caused an issue for Milwaukee reaching the next level; Damian Lillard ruptured an Achilles last year before being waived from the Bucks’ roster.

What could come next for Rivers, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks? Only time will, but Rivers seems at peace with accepting the idea of calling it a career sooner than later.