The Milwaukee Bucks got right down to business in finding their next head coach.
Now they’ll have to wait and see whether it’s enough to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo around.
On Thursday afternoon, the Bucks came to an agreement with Taylor Jenkins to be their new head coach, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Jenkins was most recently the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. In his six seasons there, he had a 250-214 record and made the playoffs three times.
“Jenkins was seen as the top available commodity in the NBA coaching landscape, and his player development pedigree, tenure as a culture-setter and someone who drives competitiveness made him the Bucks’ top target,” Charania wrote on X. “The Bucks’ brass, including ownership, met in person with Jenkins last week in Memphis and on Tuesday in Milwaukee to secure his commitment, sources said.”
Maybe most relevant to the Bucks’ future: Jenkins was an assistant in Milwaukee in 2018-19.
Does Taylor Jenkins change Giannis trade plans?
There’s a chance, but it’s hard to know for sure.
Jenkins was an assistant for just one season under Mike Budenholzer.
“I doubt he developed much of a relationship with Giannis, or even Horst, in that limited tenure,” speculated Bucks writer Van Fayaz in a recent article. “Here, he was really only known as the guy who hilariously held the bench back from getting on the court if there was the potential for a skirmish.”
Bucks forward Bobby Portis recently shared his thoughts, which were basically him saying he’s not sure:
. @BPortistime doesn’t know if Taylor Jenkins will keep Giannis in a Bucks uniform 🤨
“What helps is Jenkins was in Milwaukee during Coach Bud’s stint… a hard decision when you’re the best player in franchise history.”@MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/cyskTP8Bxb
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 23, 2026
The fact that Jenkins was in Milwaukee for a season likely just firms up Antetokounmpo’s thinking one way or the other. Jenkins isn’t an unknown.
If Giannis liked him, he probably already has a sense for that. But if he didn’t like him, he’s already got that sense, too.
If anything, it could just slightly accelerate the timing on a Giannis decision.
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