Mike Budenholzer officially became the hottest coaching candidate after resigning from his post as coach of the Atlanta Hawks, given the trajectory the franchise hoped to employ in a Trust-The-Process-like rebuild for the foreseeable future.

The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to be the next team to enter “The Bud Bowl” and “pounce” at the chance to offer him the job, as interim coach Joe Prunty stands little chance to be named the future coach moving forward, likely just making use of borrowed time, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Prunty finished up 21-16, taking over the helm after Jason Kidd was fired mid-season. The Bucks managed to secure the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, drawing a matchup against the injury-plagued Boston Celtics and losing in seven games.

Article Continues Below

Budenholzer had his eyes on coaching the New York Knicks after a source close to him noted he “wants to live in New York” as one of the key reasons for his link to the franchise.

As a former disciple of Gregg Popovich, Budenholzer is known for his defensive schemes and well-touted for his approach to the game.

The Bucks job is seen as the most enticing in the market, given the star power in the roster and the possibility to coach a generational talent like Giannis Antetokounmpo.