NBA Rumors: Bucks Eye Blazers' Scott Brooks, Raptors' Adrian Griffin for HC Opening

The Milwaukee Bucks are set to interview Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Scott Brooks for their head-coaching vacancy.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Bucks received permission from the Blazers on Thursday. The Bucks have also received permission to interview longtime Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, per Wojnarowski.

Brooks previously spent 12 seasons as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards, compiling a 521-414 record. He has made the playoffs in eight of his 12 seasons as a head coach.

The Bucks are seeking to replace Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after Milwaukee's first-round upset loss to the Miami Heat. Budenholzer spent five seasons with the Bucks, winning the 2021 NBA championship and earning the No. 1 seed in the East five times.

Brooks seems like an unlikely hire in large part because of how uninspired it would feel. Much of the criticism surrounding Budenholzer involved his lack of adjustments during the playoffs. Brooks was criticized for the same rigidness during both of his coaching stops and had less success.

In many ways, swapping Budenholzer for Brooks could be seen as swapping out a superior version of the same coach for a lesser model.

Kenny Atkinson, James Borrego and Charles Lee are among the other names mentioned early in Milwaukee's coaching search. Atkinson and Borrego each have head-coaching experience, while Lee served as an assistant under Budenholzer throughout his time with the Bucks.