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Report: Bucks to Name Former Raptors Assistant Adrian Griffin as Team's Next Head Coach
Adrian Griffin is finally getting his first NBA head coaching job.
The former Toronto Raptors assistant coach will reportedly join the Milwaukee Bucks this year to become the team’s next head coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Griffin spent four seasons in Toronto, joining the Raptors organization in 2018 as an assistant coach. He first broke into the league as an assistant coach with Milwaukee in 2008 following his retirement from the NBA.
Toronto had reportedly interviewed Griffin to potentially fill the team’s own head coaching vacancy. It’s unclear if the Raptors were seriously considering him to take over the job and if he preferred to move on or not.
Former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse had been considered a finalist for the job in Milwaukee. He was joined by Kenny Atkinson as one of the three finalists for the Bucks.
“I think Adrian is right there on the cusp of becoming a head coach in this league,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said following the 2021-22 season. “Nick has done a great job developing these guys and we encourage it as much as we can.”
Had Griffin not earned a head coaching job, it was expected he’d be back with Toronto as an assistant coach for the Raptors. He had taken over Toronto’s head coaching job on two occasions while Nurse was away from the team.
Nurse is still believed to be in the running for the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers jobs.
Further Reading
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Raptors may face high-risk, high-reward decision If Nick Smith Jr is available at No. 13
Report: Raptors have met with Steve Nash about head coaching vacancy
