The details of the deal between the Milwaukee Bucks and new head coach Doc Rivers are starting to emerge, and let's be honest, it might be the worst contract in NBA history.
The contract is reported to be worth $40 million and runs through 2027, making it worth about $10 million annually. according to To NBA Insider Shams Charania.
This makes Rivers the fourth-highest paid coach in terms of average annual value. On top of that He is a finalist for Coach of the Year each year, including Steve Kerr of the Warriors and Rick Carlisle of the Pacers.
Rivers has a championship history, but the Celtics' championship in 2007-2008 made him one of nine active head coaches to lead a team to a title. It's been 16 years since he lifted the trophy, and the league is much different today. (Related: Milwaukee Bucks hire Doc Rivers as head coach, smells potential bust in the making: Report)
BOSTON – MAY 28: The Boston Celtics after the Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 96-84 in Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 28. Head coach Doc Rivers and Ray Allen (left) celebrate in Boston, Massachusetts, 2010. Note to User: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photo, User is agreeing to the terms of the Getty Images License Agreement.Jim Rogash/Getty Images
Rivers deserves to be praised for his efforts in Boston, but with so much money in his pocket, the question must be asked, “What have you done for me lately?” The answer would be “not very many.”
Rivers has spent the past decade coaching extremely talented teams, first managing the Los Angeles Clippers from 2013 to 2020, then landing in Philadelphia to lead the 76ers in the playoffs starting in 2020. He served until his dismissal in 2023, when he suffered a crushing defeat. (Related: Struggling Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. resigns mid-season)
Epic collapses were something of a theme in the later years of his coaching career. Having watched him slam my precious clippers into the ground for years, I know firsthand how helpless he is.
Like nearly every team he has managed, the Clippers of the 2010s were extremely talented. The high-flying duo of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan teamed up with points god Chris Paul to lead the league and name the team “Lob City.” Oh, what a great team we had.
Glorious days of Lob City
But despite a talented roster that included big-time role players like Jamal Crawford and JJ Redick, Rivers couldn't get them out of the conference semifinals.
OAKLAND, Calif. – Dec. 25: Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers commits his second serious foul during the fourth quarter of a game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on Dec. 25. He went onto the court to remove Blake Griffin #32, who had been ejected. , 2013, Oakland, California.Sheeron W. Henderson/Getty Images
In 2015, they suffered perhaps the most obvious playoff collapse After taking a 3-1 lead over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals, Doc's team completely shut down and bounced back with losses in their final three games.
Even when the Clippers released Paul and Griffin after the 2018-2019 season and brought in superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to fully prepare the team, Rivers was unable to make it happen, and was unable to do so in 2020. They lost again in the conference semifinals. (Related: Soft: Mavericks star Luka Doncic removes heckler fan from game, complains about subsequent media coverage)
Rivers was fired, and the following year, his replacement, Ty Lue, led the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals in his first year on the job, surpassing what Doc had achieved in seven years.
His tenure in Philadelphia was not great, as his Sixers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals in all three years under his direction. His final year ended in another spectacular collapse, with reports surfacing that many star players hated him. Star guard James Harden reportedly refused to play for him again.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 13: Philadelphia Seventy during the fourth quarter of the game vs. Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center on December 13, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sixers No. 1 James Harden and head coach Doc Rivers will give speeches.Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Fast forward to today, and his reputation for being unkind to players is already having an impact on his new team.
One NBA source said Matisse Thybulle, a potential trade target for the No. 2 Bucks, would veto a trade to Milwaukee in consideration of Rivers.
It's worth remembering: Matisse Thybulle (mentioned here as a Bucks trade target) had a matching RFA offer sheet, so he has veto power over any trade for the first year. Masu.
I doubt he will sign a trade to Milwaukee considering they just hired a coach. https://t.co/E9f6zddyv6
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) January 24, 2024
Not only are they paying the guy an exorbitant amount of money; still Even though he's paying the last two guys he fired, he's preventing Milwaukee from acquiring talent.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Doc actually meshes well with Giannis. Perhaps he will learn from his mistakes, become less picky, and embrace his talents instead of trying to force them into a rigid system. But if I were a betting man, I'd say the Bucks will add Doc to the payroll list of fired coaches at some point before 2027.
