Doc Rivers’ seat as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks is getting increasingly hot as it becomes increasingly clear this team isn’t even going to make the play-in (and whatever happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer isn’t changing Rivers’ fate).
Rivers does not want you to confuse that with him retiring.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on his SiriusXM radio show this week that Rivers intends to retire at the end of this season, “He’s gonna step away.” Rivers pushed back on that, [via Eric Nehm of The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7094934/2026/03/06/doc-rivers-bucks-retirement-speculation/).
_“No, I’m not getting into that,” Rivers said... “That’s something that... I think he feels that way, but not for me.”_
Rivers has just one more year on his contract with the Bucks, a price they will gladly pay to move on to a coach Antetokounmpo wants if he stays, or a player-development specialist if the Bucks are rebuilding.
Expect Rivers to land a media deal somewhere for next season — he’s very good on broadcasts — but his hat is going to be in the ring when a job opens up midseason next year, as it inevitably will.
Rivers has coached in all or part of 27 NBA seasons, having won a ring (2008 Boston Celtics) and has a career .583 winning percentage. He can bring stability to a franchise that feels it needs it, which will keep him in the mix for jobs for a while.