The Milwaukee Bucks made the move to replace Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers, but this did not come at a cheap price. Rivers, who had been working with ESPN as an analyst, is back on the sidelines with a $40 million contract that runs through the 2026-27 season with the Bucks, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

It is worth mentioning that the Bucks are still paying former head coach Mike Budenholzer and Griffin due to their respective buyouts.

Rivers, 62, seemed like the obvious choice to replace Griffin for various reasons. Although he has 24 years of coaching experience under his belt and a championship on his resume, Rivers was already familiar with the Bucks' brass.

In his first season as a head coach in the NBA, Griffin was bound to face learning curves. This is why the Bucks made Rivers an “informal consultant” for Griffin. The Bucks had even organized a meeting between the two coaches prior to the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament a couple of months ago. It is clear that Rivers had some sort of prior relationship with the higher-ups in the Bucks organization, ultimately leading to him replacing Griffin on the sidelines.

Rivers now takes over a 31-13 team, one that is highlighted by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The goal in Milwaukee is to win a championship this season, hence the urgency to bring in a well-known and championship-experienced coach like Rivers.

Over the course of his 24 years coaching in the NBA, Rivers has posted a 1,097-763 record, the ninth-most wins by a head coach in league history. Most recently, Rivers coached the Philadelphia 76ers for the last three seasons, leading them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals all three years.

As a result of his big contract with the Bucks, it's safe to say that Rivers isn't just a solution for the remainder of the season. The Bucks believe that Rivers is the coach they need to not only compete for but win another championship. Whether or not this dream can become their reality is yet to be seen.

At this time, the Bucks have not yet said when Rivers will join and begin coaching the team.