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Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst called the move to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo a "very difficult decision," but he also acknowledged that it was a transition that was in the best interest of both the Bucks and Antetokounmpo. "No one's sitting here today and saying that we're a better team today after trading Giannis," Horst said during a conference call with reporters Wednesday. "He's one of the greatest players to ever play, greatest player in the franchise history. We've had an incredible amount of success.”
Jon Horst: "For us, it was just about the opportunity to build and to again, set a foundation. Can we set something in place with a new coach and take advantage of an opportunity to truly build from a place of strength on a roster that hopefully makes our city proud, our franchise proud and gets us to the place where we are competitive. And we can sustain that competition and that competitive level year in and year out."
In the offseason, the Bucks replaced coach Doc Rivers with Taylor Jenkins. Yet Horst denied feeling any pressure that the team was forced to trade Antetokounmpo this summer. "This was not a 'have to,'" Horst said. "This was, we truly believed we've found an opportunity which is unique. We might be right. We might be wrong. But an opportunity where this is what's best for him and what he wants to pursue going forward, and this is what's best for us and what we want to pursue going forward. And that's why we made the decision.”
Ira Windhorst: Bucks GM Jon Horst, "We're excited to welcome Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez and Kasparas Jakucionis to Bucks basketball. Each brings talent, versatility, competitiveness and a team-first mentality that builds our culture and identity."
Shams Charania: Bucks general manager Jon Horst: “Since we drafted him in 2013, Giannis has transformed the Milwaukee Bucks in every way -- on the court, in our locker room and throughout the community. Over 13 seasons, he became an extraordinary leader, teammate and representative of this city, and one of the defining players of his generation. The standard he set will continue here. This was an incredibly difficult decision, made for what is best for the future of the Bucks and for Giannis. On a personal level, Giannis and I have shared this entire journey together, and he has been an exceptional partner, friend and inspiration. All of us at the Bucks have been impacted by his presence and influence and are deeply grateful for everything he and his family have given. We wish them continued success and are excited to see them soon.
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Shams Charania: Jon Horst: This transition also means saying goodbye to another player who played an important role in one of the most successful eras in Bucks history. From the moment Bobby arrived, he embraced what it means to be a Buck and quickly became a fan favorite through his passion, competitiveness and unwavering commitment to winning. Bobby played a vital role in helping our franchise capture the 2021 NBA Championship, and his performance throughout that historic playoff run will forever be part of Bucks history. Beyond his impact on the court, Bobby forged genuine connections throughout Milwaukee, invested his time and resources in the community and made the city his home. The relationship he built with our fans was special, and the chants of 'Bob-by! Bob-by!' that echoed throughout Fiserv Forum became a defining part of his legacy. We thank Bobby for everything he has meant to this organization and wish him continued success and happiness.”
Horst had canvassed the league for months, fielding offers and presenting them to his front office and ownership group, then getting feedback from Antetokounmpo's camp as to whether he'd be willing to extend his contract with those teams. At least four strong bids had died on the vine after Antetokounmpo rejected them, multiple sources with knowledge of them say.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY on Monday, the Bucks had gone back and forth over the two offers. There were "spirited debates" and differences of opinion, as one Bucks source put it. But in the end, they preferred the optionality that Miami's package gave them in building something new. Horst had always liked the concept of the Heat's deal.
These deals bothered Doc Rivers and other coaches, as they felt the organization had bowed too much to appease their star player. To them, Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted things both ways. “Giannis said so many things,” a former coach said, “It stems from your actions, which is, 'My brothers have to be on this team.' Well then, are you about a championship? 'Cause they’re not only not helping us win a championship, it’s creating dissension.” Jon Horst, meanwhile, appeared to try to appease Rivers with a different preferred player. The Bucks signed Amir Coffey, who began his career under Rivers with the Clippers. The team would cut former draft picks Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith to make room for the veteran.
Eric Nehm: While he couldn't specifically talk about the trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks general manager Jon Horst was asked about his vision for the team moving forward and how their two picks tonight fit into that vision. Horst: I think we're always building. We're always looking towards adding positional size. I think that the character component of these two young men we were able to draft matters a ton. I think we talked a lot at Taylor's press conference about style of play and identity and who we want to be and the things we want to do. It takes processors, people that can think the game, that can attack space and create advantages that are going to play on both sides of the ball, that are big at their positions. That's how you also take advantage of space. That's the vision. I think this has been a great opportunity for us to have the opportunity in a lottery for the first time in over a decade, the first time in my career to make a lottery pick, much less two. And I think it's a great draft to do it. And so time will tell with all these things and really, it's on them. These guys are excited to come here and to work. I'm excited to introduce them to all of you, but it's on them. Now they've got a great opportunity to work and grow and develop and build in Taylor's system with the rest of our group and we'll see what happens going forward.
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For now, though, let's say that the Bucks do stay at No. 10. We've already written about Milwaukee's interest in the top guards on the board … everyone from Darius Acuff Jr. to Keaton Wagler to Mikel Brown Jr. after flying down to Orlando to meet with Brown. I've since been told that a Milwaukee contingent including general manager Jon Horst and new head coach Taylor Jenkins also traveled to New York recently to visit with Nate Ament during this pre-draft process. Now the Bucks are being looked at by some rival teams as the absolute floor for the Tennessee forward. Sources say Ament has drawn interest as high as the Clippers at No. 5, Brooklyn at No. 6 and ranks as a strong contender to emerge as Dallas' ultimate pick at No. 9.
Jim Owczarski: "Jon Horst does not leak. He has a very small front office and he does not discuss anything. Quite famously, and this might not be known to Celtics fans, the Damian Lillard trade, he literally created a bunker in the Bucks locker room in the offseason. There were people on his immediate staff that did not know what he was doing."
Heat Central: “Jon Horst the Bucks GM is very good at going into bunker mode and keeping things tight…. I talked to a team today that had wondered from their conversations that maybe he was in a pinch. As far as like real strong suitors that Miami was putting itself so far out in front of the rest of the field that the Bucks weren’t getting the type of package they were hoping for.” — @sam_amick on Giannis to Miami rumors
The Bucks are also leaving the door open to pursue a major trade to convince Antetokounmpo to stay once again, allowing Horst to work parallel paths. They will have up to three first-round picks and tradeable contracts such as Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma to offer in deals this offseason. One of those first-rounders is the less favorable of their own or the New Orleans Pelicans' this year.