Unsurprisingly, after the Milwaukee Bucks’ shocking first-round exit in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, head coach Mike Budenholzer’s future with the franchise is now in question.
If there was any team that was seen as a lock to advance in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks would have been at the top of most NBA fans’ lists. They finished the season very strong and were facing a Miami Heat team that just barely made it out of the NBA Play-In tournament and seemed like a shell of the team that made it to the 2022 conference finals.
Even after MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo missed two games in the series, there was still a strong belief that the Milwaukee Bucks would do what was necessary to get passed the Heat and move on to the semifinals. Yet, when Antetokounmpo returned to the series with the team down just 2-1, they couldn’t post another victory and were soundly eliminated from the postseason in five games.
In defeat, the Bucks made history by being just the sixth top seed ever to be eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Unsurprisingly, the stunning ouster has created renewed pressure on head coach Mike Budenholzer.
On Friday, Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed that after diffusing pressure on his position by winning an NBA title two years ago, there are those in the Milwaukee Bucks front office that are reconsidering if he should continue to lead the team going forward.
Budenholzer was feeling the heat before they won a title, but the situation is far different in 2023, and the Bucks and their fans won’t be interested in replacing him with a coach on the rise. The only option would be to bring in a new coach with an impressive resume or a title already under their belt.
With that in mind, here are three coaches the Milwaukee Bucks could target to replace Mike Budenholzer this summer.
Frank Vogel
Frank Vogel was handed his walking papers last year after the Los Angeles Lakers failed to make the post-season despite having a trio of future Hall-of-Famers. In hindsight, the decision might have been unfair because new head coach Darvin Ham also failed until the team shipped off Russell Westbrook and made several other smart trades.
He has a title under his belt during the COVID bubble era and 11 mostly positive seasons of experience on his resume. Of the available options, Vogel would be a very sound choice.
Nick Nurse
Former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse would be the attention-grabbing choice for the Milwaukee Bucks since he was just cut loose by the team last week. Despite his ouster, he helped lead the franchise to its first NBA title and is 64 games over .500 during his five seasons in Canada. While it might be a lateral move, Nurse is probably the best option if the Bucks feel a new voice is needed in the locker room.
Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson doesn’t have a championship on his resume and has lost far more than he has won as a head coach, but he is one of the most respected assistants in the game. He helped rebuild the Nets back to relevancy in his one head coach opportunity before the superstars pushed him out, and he has been a part of a Golden State Warriors championship.
He is constantly in the running for head coach gigs for good reason, and he could be a fantastic choice to bring a fresh approach to the Bucks organization.