Rumors

“I feel like the national media conversation isn’t always necessarily fair for smaller-market teams. As somebody that is from a smaller market, and I feel like my teams don’t necessarily get the same kind of recognition that they deserve, what are maybe some misconceptions that you would want to clear up about the city of Milwaukee, the Bucks fan base, and the Milwaukee Bucks franchise?” Ryan Rollins: “I would say the main thing is just recently, how LeBron said the whole thing about Milwaukee — and I think Memphis was the other city. Milwaukee is a great city. They’ve got great food spots. Everybody in Milwaukee is super friendly. There are a lot of hidden gems out there. But I think more so what he was trying to get toward was, if you’re a visiting team, it’s not really a lot to do. But if you’re from there, and you get to go around the city a little bit and meet people, it’s a great city. Everybody’s nice, everybody’s friendly, they’re welcoming, and they show a lot of love out there, too. Milwaukee is a great fan base, and I like it, man. It’s a low-key spot. I’m a low-key guy, so I guess it fits me.”

YouTube

Per league sources, new Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins signed a long-term deal with a salary that is well north of $10 million annually. Jenkins isn’t the highest-paid coach in the league, as that honor goes to Golden State’s Steve Kerr at $17.5 million annually (for now, as he continues to contemplate whether to return). Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is second (approximately $15 million). And Jenkins, the former Memphis Grizzlies coach who was once a Bucks assistant in Antetokounmpo’s early days, is up there now.

New York Times

With so many experienced coaches around him, Rondo was given a spectacular opportunity in Milwaukee to observe how to do the job, but he also asked questions. “He has a trait that every aspiring, currently active or former coach should have, and that’s being inquisitive,” Darvin Ham told The Athletic. “He’s very curious to learn the process of things, what triggers certain actions, what triggers certain reactions on both sides of the ball. “He knows the game, but the art of trying to teach it so the players can comprehend it, that’s the part he’s picking up. The preparation process, how it goes from paper to film to actual on-court methods to after game time, and then, boom, rinse and repeat, so to speak. He’s been great, man. He’s just very intuitive, really asking questions.”

New York Times

Ryan Rollins is the new combo guard in Milwaukee that rival teams are chasing. When the Bucks explored the feasibility of trading for Memphis' Ja Morant earlier in the season, as part of their quest to upgrade the roster around Antetokounmpo, league sources say that the Grizzlies were seeking Rollins in any iteration of a Morant deal.

marcstein.substack.com

No wonder, then, that we're hearing Milwaukee plans to a cast a wide net in search of its successor to Rivers. Sources reaffirm what The Stein Line has already written — former Bucks assistant coach Taylor Jenkins and current Bucks assistant Darvin Ham -- are certain candidates for the post, yet I've also been told that Horst has been assembling a candidates list that features a varied cross-section of names, archetypes and experience levels.

marcstein.substack.com

Turner’s first season in Milwaukee, however, did not go that way. Injuries limited Antetokounmpo to 36 games on the season, the fewest he’s played in a season, and the Bucks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Individually, Turner averaged 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 26.9 minutes. Those averages were Turner’s lowest since his rookie season. The rebound average was the lowest of his career. Turner also took just 9.1 shots per game, which was the lowest since his rookie season.

New York Times

Interviewer: What are the worst cities to play in? Where did you hate going? Jason Williams: I didn’t like playing in Milwaukee. I didn’t like playing in Portland. Interviewer: Why not? Jason Williams: Just because it was always raining in Portland. Yeah. I mean, the people are great.

YouTube

Charania had the following response today and took a shot at the state of the Bucks on the Pat McAfee Show: “The reality of everything in Milwaukee is this, if they spent as much time dealing with their own internal dynamics and problems as they do with responding to accurate reports, they wouldn’t be in the mess that they’re in right now. I’m doing the job at the highest of levels I possibly can. I got one more for you. I watch documentaries from time to time. I saw one on Fyre Festival. The part we’re at now is when everyone wants to go and you’re doing the cover up. It’s totally fine. I’m just here to document and cover it the right way.”

Heavy.com

On April 12, the official end of the 2025-26 season, in the visiting locker room at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t sure if that was his last game ever for the only franchise he’s ever known. “I don't know, it's not up to me anymore,” he said. “It's not up to me. We'll see."

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Shams Charania: A summer of change begins for the Bucks as Rivers exits at 97-103 across three seasons in Milwaukee -- two first-round exits and missing the playoffs and play-in this year. The Bucks will pay out Rivers on his eight-figure salary for the final year on his deal in 2026-27.

Twitter

Gina Mizell: FINAL: Sixers 126, Bucks 106. Sixers used a monster third quarter to overcome a bad first half to win comfortably. Tyrese Maxey with 21 points in 27 minutes. Quentin Grimes with 20 points and 5 assists. Now we scoreboard watch the end of Magic-Celtics.

bsky.app

The growing expectation within league circles is that Doc Rivers won’t be Milwaukee's head coach next season. Instead, there’s a belief that Rivers could pivot to an undetermined role in Milwaukee’s front office. As for potential coaching candidates, the Bucks have an internal candidate in Darvin Ham who will also be sought after by the Pelicans, according to league sources, this summer. Taylor Jenkins will almost assuredly draw interest from Milwaukee if their head coaching job becomes available. Jenkins will arguably be the most sought-after coach on the market and was previously an assistant coach under Mike Budenholzer when the Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019. Another name to potentially consider is Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego, who previously interviewed for Milwaukee’s head coaching job when Adrian Griffin was hired, and will also be available this summer.

HoopsHype

The Nets didn’t face Giannis Antetokounmpo in their 96-90 win over the Bucks on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, and it’s unclear if they’ll see him Friday when they travel to Milwaukee. But it’s almost a fait accompli that they’ll call the Bucks about their want-away superstar this summer. “They’ll make calls,” a source told The Post. “They’ve made calls in the past.”

New York Post

Pat Timlin: I asked Doc Rivers pregame about Lebron's comments about Memphis/Milwaukee and if MKE gets a bad rap. He joked around: "Let's build a Four Seasons or a Ritz-Carlton I guess... We should trade for him, let him see Milwaukee. I'm going to get fined for saying that"

x.com