The NBA coaching carousel is getting serious, with Mike Budenholzer the latest big name to become a coaching free agent. Budenholzer parted ways with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and, if we're going by recent track record, he should immediately be considered the best proven coach on the market.
Budenholzer joined the Hawks five years ago and, by emphasizing spacing, shooting and ball movement, they were immediately dubbed "Spurs East." This made sense, of course, as Budenholzer spent 19 seasons working for San Antonio. If you would like to see why Budenholzer has such a great reputation, just watch how the 2014-15 Hawks played offensively:
That team won 60 games and took four of their five starters to the All-Star Game. It was as perfect a marriage of system and personnel as you will find in the NBA, and it should be remembered as one of the most impressive coaching jobs in recent history. Atlanta was much, much more than the sum of its parts on both ends of the court.
For a team looking to define its identity and establish a style of play, Budenholzer would be a home-run hire. Here's a look at some possible destinations for him, excluding the Phoenix Suns because he reportedly withdrew himself from consideration after talking to ownership and management.
The job Bud (reportedly) wants: New York
It is somewhat curious that the New York Knicks are reportedly Budenholzer's top choice. Being the coach of the Knicks is a tough job -- out of their 10 coaches since Jeff Van Gundy quit in 2001, only Mike D'Antoni lasted a full three seasons. They are not close to contention right now, and they have several questionable contracts on their salary-cap sheet.
On the other hand, if New York is willing to offer him a long-term, big-money deal, it would be hard to turn down. Being the coach of the Knicks is a prestigious position, and it comes with the added bonus of being responsible for Kristaps Porzingis' development. New York is desperate for someone to modernize its style of play, and Budenholzer would insist on surrounding Porzingis with shooters and ball movers -- once the star big man recovers from his torn ACL, that is.
The big question here is how long Budenholzer expects it to take for the Knicks to return to relevance. Are he and management on the same page? He didn't want to be part of a long-term rebuilding project in Atlanta, and it is not as if this New York team is ready to take a huge step forward. In fact, being terrible for one more season -- a season in which Porzingis' return date is uncertain -- might be best for the franchise. If Budenholzer does take on this challenge, he needs to be patient.
The best fit: Milwaukee
Can you imagine the fun Budenholzer would have with Giannis Antetokounmpo? It wouldn't surprise anybody if he consistently used him as a sort of point-center, initiating the offense but playing next to a bunch of similarly sized wings. Antetokounmpo has never played in a continuity offense like Budenholzer's, but he has the basketball IQ to handle it -- plus the talent to bail the team out in ways that no one on even the best Hawks' team could.
Milwaukee is considered an attractive destination for a coach entirely because of the presence of Antetokounmpo. What would happen to his supporting cast under Budenholzer is fascinating. Jabari Parker does not seem like a Budenholzer player, but Malcolm Brogdon definitely does. Budenholzer would either be the best thing to happen to Eric Bledsoe or the two of them would clash from the first day of training camp. The important thing, though, is that Budenholzer knows how he wants his teams to play and will make sure his development staff is aligned with that vision.
From Budenholzer's perspective, the main concern here is ownership and management. ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz quoted a Bucks insider describing last summer's hiring of general manager Jon Horst as a "reluctant compromise" between owners Wes Edens and Marc Lasry. Will Budenholzer see this as a stable situation? Would he want personnel power? He had that in Atlanta until Travis Schlenk took over a year ago.
The dark horse: Detroit
It feels a bit dirty to link Budenholzer to a job that isn't actually available, but this is a reasonable exception to the rule because of Stan Van Gundy's foggy future with the Detroit Pistons. Van Gundy, who serves in a dual role of president and coach, reportedly met with owner Tom Gores this week to discuss what is next for the franchise. Next season is the last year of Van Gundy's contract, and he could either be fired or lose his front-office role the way Budenholzer did last year.
If Van Gundy is out, then the Pistons would become an intriguing landing spot for Budenholzer. I will not suggest that they are a sleeping giant, but their 39-43 record does not reflect the talent on the roster. If Reggie Jackson can play a full season or they can acquire another starting-caliber point guard, Detroit should be able to make it to the playoffs in its first full season with Blake Griffin. That could be appealing for a coach that just finished a tank job.
As far as the roster goes, I'm honestly not sure if the presence of Griffin and Andre Drummond would be a selling point or not for Budenholzer. He has a well-documented preference for big men who can space the floor -- unlike this duo -- but he also likes bigs who can pass and make plays. This could work, especially after all the improvement Drummond showed as a facilitator this past season, but it is not necessarily an ideal setup for Budenholzer. I love the idea of Reggie Bullock and Luke Kennard in his system, though.
