Woj: Mike Budenholzer Likely Secured Future With Bucks After Advancing to ECF

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Mike Budenholzer may have bought himself another season at the helm for the Milwaukee Bucks, and perhaps more. 

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on ABC’s NBA Countdown on Sunday that Budenholzer has gone a long way to ensuring his future for the organization after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals (h/t RealGM):

“Mike Budenholzer knew coming into this season that his future in Milwaukee would be judged by his postseason performance. He’s gone through Miami and now he’s gone through the Brooklyn Nets into the Eastern Conference Finals. I’m told that has gone a long way in securing Mike Budenholzer’s future in Milwaukee. He has one year left on his contract.”

Budenholzer, 51, has served as Milwaukee’s head coach for the past three seasons, leading the team to a 162-65 record, three playoff appearances, two No. 1 seeds and two conference finals. He previously spent five seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks (213-197). 

His future in Milwaukee was called into question, however, given the team’s continued failures to reach the NBA Finals in the Giannis Antetokounmpo era.

Had the team not gotten past the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals—especially with the Nets never having their superstar trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden healthy at the same time during the series, with only Durant making it through the entirety of the matchup— a warm seat would have gone to scoring hot for Budenholzer. 

Instead, the Bucks await the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks. 

They may not ever have a better chance of winning a title. While they don’t have a completely clean bill of health—Donte DiVincenzo was lost for the postseason with a torn ligament in his left ankle—they are one of the few remaining teams with no major concerns regarding any of their star players.