Larry Drew is out as Milwaukee Bucks coach
Milwaukee Bucks coach Larry Drew is out of a job, multiple news organizations reported Monday.
Reports indicated that Drew, a former University of Missouri star out of Wyandotte High School, was fired during a meeting with Bucks owner Marc Lasry.
Many of the reports also indicated that the Bucks had reached an agreement with the Brooklyn Nets to make Jason Kidd their next coach.
The Nets are expected to receive two second-round draft picks in the deal, the first coming in 2015 and the second coming in 2019. Trades between the Nets and Bucks will not be permitted during the 2014-15 season as a protection against the possibility of Kidd landing some of his former players.
The bizarre turn of events that led to the Bucks dealing for Kidd unfolded on Saturday night. They eventually made the firing of Drew a formalized matter, and Lasry reportedly apologized to Drew for the way in which the situation was handled.
Milwaukee had the NBA’s worst record last season at 15-67, but there had been nothing to believe Drew wouldn’t return after his first season with the team. . His career coaching record, including three seasons in Atlanta, is 143-169.
Kidd went 44-38 in his only season as Nets coach and had there seasons left on his contract.
After transitioning from his decorated playing career into coaching and leading the Nets to a second-round playoff loss against the Miami Heat that fell way short of ownership's title aspirations, Kidd pushed for a promotion that would have put him above general manager Billy King in the basketball operations department while also keeping him as coach, but Nets ownership declined his request for the promotion.
Former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins is considered the frontrunner to replace Kidd. With an aging roster and such a seemingly-short window of time with which to contend, Brooklyn is expected to opt for a veteran coach.
Star news services
This story was originally published July 1, 2014 at 12:43 AM with the headline "Larry Drew is out as Milwaukee Bucks coach."