Nick Wass/Associated Press

Mike Budenholzer Reportedly Met With, Not Offered Contract by Raptors

Scott Polacek

The Toronto Raptors reportedly never extended a contract offer to new Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

On Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Budenholzer agreed to a four-year contract with the Bucks after meeting with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Wojnarowski noted the Raptors met with Budenholzer on Monday but didn't offer him a contract.

Budenholzer mutually agreed to part ways with the Atlanta Hawks in April.

The Raptors still have a coaching vacancy after they fired Dwane Casey following a second-round playoff sweep at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Wojnarowski noted Budenholzer is "considered one of the NBA's best tacticians." He served as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs for 17 seasons before taking the Hawks job prior to the 2013-14 campaign, and he led Atlanta to the playoffs in each of his first four years at the helm.

He guided the Hawks to the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals and was named the NBA's Coach of the Year that season.

With Budenholzer having joined the Bucks, the Raptors' search for a new coach continues. They were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season, but they lost to the Cavaliers in the playoffs for the third straight year.

This season seemed like the Raptors' best opportunity to reach the NBA Finals. They had home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward were out for the Boston Celtics, youth figured to trip up the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cavaliers needed seven games to get past the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

However, the second-round sweep at the hands of James and Co. left the franchise seeking answers and changing direction.

That direction will not include Budenholzer, even though Toronto met with him before he agreed to join the Bucks.

   

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