Report: Bucks Eyed Monty Williams, Kelvin Sampson Before Hiring Adrian Griffin as HC

Prior to hiring Adrian Griffin as the franchise's new head coach, the Milwaukee Bucks were also targeting newly-hired Pistons coach Monty Williams and University of Houston's Kelvin Sampson as top candidates, according to league insider Marc Stein.

Stein reported that the Bucks had strong interest in both coaches, particularly Williams, who was the presumed top option for the job before the organization shifted their attention and focus to Griffin.

Griffin, 48, served as an assistant on multiple staffs throughout his career, most recently with the Toronto Raptors under Nick Nurse from 2018-2023. He signed a multi-year deal with Milwaukee worth approximately $4 million a season, according to The Athletic's Eric Nehm and Shams Charania.

He'll be stepping into one of the most desired jobs of the entire coaching cycle that includes an elite roster with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way. The Bucks fell well short of their normal standard in the postseason under Mike Budenholzer as they lost to the Miami Heat in the first round.

As for Williams, after being let go by Phoenix following the Suns' second-round exit, he got the biggest contract in NBA coaching history to help resurrect a Pistons' franchise that finished with the worst record in the league this past season.

The two-time coach of the year agreed to a six-year, $78.5 million deal with Detroit last month.

And as ambitious of a move it would have been to steal Sampson away from Houston, he has too good of deal to pass up and Milwaukee could not lure him away, according to Stein.

Sampson, 67, recently signed an extension with the program that will earn him more than $5 million a year, making him one of the highest paid coaches in all of college hoops. He also got a guarantee that his son, Kellen, would be the Cougar's head coach-in-waiting and will take over once his father steps down, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.

Can't make the deal much sweeter.

It also may have been for the best as great college coaches don't always make the best transition to the pro game, take John Calipari with the Nets, Rick Pitino with the Celtics and John Beilein with the Cavaliers as examples.

So, it looks like everyone ended up where they needed to be. It's still interesting to imagine what the league would look like next year if any of these decisions changed a bit.