NBA Rumors: Warriors' Kenny Atkinson Set to Interview for Bucks HC Job

The Milwaukee Bucks received permission to interview Golden State Warriors assistant head coach Kenny Atkinson, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Atkinson has spent the past two seasons with Golden State and was with the Los Angeles Clippers before that. The 55-year-old coached the Brooklyn Nets for three-plus seasons, compiling a 118-190 overall record and guiding them to the 2019 playoffs.

The Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer in the wake of their shocking first-round exit to the Miami Heat. The move reflects both the high expectations for the franchise and a somewhat precarious future.

Khris Middleton can opt out of his contract this summer, and the same is true for Jrue Holiday in 2024 and Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2025.

The front office has to think long and hard about whether Middleton and Holiday remain suitable secondary stars alongside Antetokounmpo. If that's the case, keeping this core together will be very expensive.

Middleton and Holiday will be 32 and 33, respectively, when the 2023-24 season tips off as well. Milwaukee may not have a long window before either Antetokounmpo, who turns 29 in December, leaves as a free agent or it needs to totally reorient the roster around the 2019 and 2020 MVP.

Playing it safe isn't always the best approach, but mitigating risk as much as possible with their coaching hire makes the most sense for the Bucks.

Should general manager Jon Horst look outside of the organization and bypass lead assistant Charles Lee, Atkinson is one of the more logical candidates in the field. Wojnarowski reported the Bucks intend to interview Lee and former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego.

Atkinson inherited a difficult situation in Brooklyn with the Nets facing a total rebuild. He not only established a clear culture behind the scenes, but also delivered results on the court. You can't hold the rapid unraveling of his Nets tenure against Atkinson too much, either, because they had problems that went well beyond coaching.

There will probably be more names to enter the fray in Milwaukee. Surely an interview with former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse will follow before too long.

Should this process end with the hiring of Atkinson, it probably won't be a controversial decision.