Bucks hiring Taylor Jenkins as new head coach

[HarryDoyle]

Sources: Bucks finalizing deal to hire Taylor Jenkins - ESPN

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Good hire but the least of their problems at the moment. And that's saying something because this was a major problem.

[patrickgpe]

The lack of activity on this thread shows how big the problem is right now with the bucks. They literally hired the best coach available in this years offseason and there are 2 posts. I expected a 1st time coach who came cheaply. I doubt Jenkins did. This tells me that they do not think the Giannis divorce this offseason is inevitable. If it was going to be a complete rebuild, why pay another top coach, when you are paying Griffin still and Doc?

[CheezWizHed]

@patrickgpe this news coming on the cusp of the NFL draft and at the end of a very 🤢Bucks season is probably why there isn't much discussion. 

Frankly, I don't know much about the coach to know if this is a good hire or not... But I think you make a good point about this being an indicator of running it back with Giannis.  

So what sort of coach is Jenkins?  Is he going to be able to change Giannis at all?  I think the point-forward offense really needs to go bye-bye (at least not the default).  KPJ and Rollins are good distributors.  Let them (and ball movement in general) free up Giannis instead of the "GA-takes-on-all-defenders" offense we normally see. 

[patrickgpe]

44 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

.

So what sort of coach is Jenkins?  Is he going to be able to change Giannis at all?  I think the point-forward offense really needs to go bye-bye (at least not the default).  KPJ and Rollins are good distributors.  Let them (and ball movement in general) free up Giannis instead of the "GA-takes-on-all-defenders" offense we normally see. 

He is more of a defensive guy (which is a good thing). He did really change the culture in Memphis for the better (which is also good as the culture is as bad as I can ever remember). I know things got ugly at the end in Memphis (the beat guy for the Grizzlies was on WSSP in Milwaukee a few days ago to talk about the Jenkins era in Memphis, which is where all of the above came from). 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I get the feeling Giannis has been inhaling his own supply for a bit too long now. Likely in large part due to being bored because of injuries and non competitive seasons. 

It feels like he is going to commit to be here and expect a hero's worshipping for it, when everybody is pretty sick of listening to him talk about it, and also aware that they can't really win anyway. I like the guy, but I'm just over it, and I've accepted our time in the sun has come to an end. 

[BrewerFan]

On 4/23/2026 at 8:07 PM, patrickgpe said:

The lack of activity on this thread shows how big the problem is right now with the bucks. They literally hired the best coach available in this years offseason and there are 2 posts. I expected a 1st time coach who came cheaply. I doubt Jenkins did. This tells me that they do not think the Giannis divorce this offseason is inevitable. If it was going to be a complete rebuild, why pay another top coach, when you are paying Griffin still and Doc?

There's just not much to look forward to. 

I want to see how Deign can develop, what they can get for some of these spart parts. I suspect Kuzma will be traded, maybe Portis and then hope they can hit on a really nice player in the top 10 and get a good package back for Giannis. Even that though, you waited a year too long and... his value isn't as high as it was last year. 

So we don't own our 1sts, we're likely to be trying to be a play-in team and Giannis, now 31, is probably gone. 

This hire would have been GREAT if it was right after Bud. 

[nate82]

[patrickgpe]

Even though the Bucks down own their pick, they should be in the top 10 this year. I do wish the Bucks would just do a hard reset and get as many picks as they can and move on from Giannis, but it doesn't look like thats going to happen. If Giannis leaves in FA with no compensation, it will set the team back years with being in cap and draft capital hell. 

[sveumrules]

Assuming that hiring Jenkins tilts the needle more towards Giannis staying & signing the $275M extension... between Turner ($26.6M), Kuzma ($20.5M), and Portis ($14.5M) to match salaries plus the 2031 and 2033 firsts (& 2032 swap) available to be dealt this offseason Horst should have enough ammo go out and make another Bledsoe (2017), Holliday (2020) or Lillard (2023) kind of deal.
 

[nate82]

29 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Assuming that hiring Jenkins tilts the needle more towards Giannis staying & signing the $275M extension... between Turner ($26.6M), Kuzma ($20.5M), and Portis ($14.5M) to match salaries plus the 2031 and 2033 firsts (& 2032 swap) available to be dealt this offseason Horst should have enough ammo go out and make another Bledsoe (2017), Holliday (2020) or Lillard (2023) kind of deal.
 

The trade is what scares me.  From some reports it was the Bucks who went the hardest after Morant.  They were not willing to give up Rollins in the deal and now I wonder if they will. 

[patrickgpe]

3 hours ago, nate82 said:

The trade is what scares me.  From some reports it was the Bucks who went the hardest after Morant.  They were not willing to give up Rollins in the deal and now I wonder if they will. 

Honestly, as long as they keep this pick and future firsts , I don’t care what players they move, although I don’t really want Morant on this team, unless Jenkins is 100% on board that he can make that dynamic work. 

[greeg35]

19 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

Honestly, as long as they keep this pick and future firsts , I don’t care what players they move, although I don’t really want Morant on this team, unless Jenkins is 100% on board that he can make that dynamic work. 

Locked on Bucks had the Grizzlies host on before the hire.  From that information I think getting Jenkins makes getting Ja less likely....they weren't getting along great by the end.