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The Milwaukee Bucks have registered serious interest in Taylor Jenkins to be their next head coach, league sources tell The Athletic. Team owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam and general manager Jon Horst made their way to Memphis, where the former Grizzlies head coach still resides with his family, early last week to discuss their head coach opening and a vision for the future with Jenkins in Milwaukee, those sources said.
Early indications, however, suggest that Bucks general manager Jon Horst will indeed be the point man for Milwaukee's offseason business. There has naturally been speculation about Horst's status given how tumultuous this season has been in Brewtown, but Horst has two years left on a contract that was recently extended through the 2027-28 season. The clearest sign yet, furthermore, that Horst is proceeding with business as usual: League sources say he has already initiated outreach to representatives of various coaching candidates to launch the Bucks' search for Rivers' successor in earnest.
Potential issues with the organization’s decision-makers, however, were not limited to only Rivers. Multiple team sources detailed how they believed Horst’s behavior changed this season as well. When the Bucks were annually competing for the NBA’s best record, Horst was a fixture around the team, regularly attending shootarounds on the road and popping into the locker room to chat with players. His presence was noticeable, clear and consistent. Multiple team sources tell The Athletic that they felt as though Horst’s presence this season was more sporadic, with the Bucks general manager joining the team for fewer road games and keeping a greater distance from the team than he had in previous seasons.
So what’s the timeline on a coaching decision? Because whether Doc is back or not, I would imagine the No. 1 question for any coaching candidate will be ‘Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be on the team?’ One would think that could affect someone’s desire to be on the bench. Jon Horst: I don’t agree with that. I don’t. I think, of course, we want to do as much as we can to figure out a path and get as much clarity as we can. We don’t have that clarity now. That decision hasn’t been made. You have three draft picks you could move and have some financial assets. Do you feel empowered to go down that path? Jon Horst: Yes. I do. So, you truly believe that both paths — trading Antetokounmpo to move in a different direction with those picks or trading the picks to surround Antetokounmpo with better talent — still remain in front of you? Jon Horst: I do, yeah. Absolutely. And not only just from my perspective, but I also believe from Giannis’ mindset and his perspective. Whether we need couple’s therapy or whatever, the assets will still be there. I do feel empowered that yeah, those things are both viable things for us to look at and consider.
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Jon Horst: We definitely said we were moving forward with Giannis [to start this season]. I didn’t have to keep repeating it. If I say it, I mean it, I live it, and that’s enough. So, we said we were moving forward with Giannis, we were moving forward with Giannis. So, I don’t think there was a miscommunication or mis-messaging from our side on that. I think there’s no question that the noise had an impact. It’s part of what I was alluding to, like the struggles and how great Doc has been at managing those. But I also don’t think that is a singular result of chatter or rumors or stories that are out there, or facts that are out there, or whatever level you want to say.
Jon Horst: Doc’s been an unbelievable partner for me going through a really tough season. We haven’t won a playoff series in three years or four years, whatever. Well, Doc’s been part of that, and we’ve had injuries every year. Giannis has been part of that. I’ve been part of that. The teams that we’ve built, the injuries that we’ve had, the decisions we’ve made, we’ve all been part of that, and we’re all part of this right now. But for me, I don’t classify that as a strained relationship. I don’t have any less love or respect or belief or gratitude toward Giannis or anyone that works with him. I really don’t. I am going through a tough situation. We are going through a tough situation together, and I’m only trying to find the right outcome. I’m trying to do that together with them, and I’m trying to do what’s best for us and best for them, even if it’s uncomfortable. But I don’t have any ill will. I don’t feel a strained relationship. I feel the results of a strange situation of a season that’s not where any of us wanted it to be. He had hopes of having a great season. He had belief. He’s done everything (he) can. That’s absolutely true. I have, too. So has Doc Rivers. So has Kyle Kuzma. We didn’t get there. For the first time in 10 years, we didn’t get there, where going into the playoffs we were like, “Man, we got a chance,” and that sucks. I’m pretty excited about figuring it out going forward, but right now, it sucks.
This is a question I would ask myself if things were bad, so I'm going ask you as well: Is there anything that you think you did to upset the owners? Antetokounmpo: "Never." Jon? (General manager Jon Horst.) Antetokounmpo: "Never." How is your relationship right now with Jon? Antetokounmpo: “Jon Horst. I talk more with him. Not as much as I’ve talked to him in the past. But yeah, I talked with Jon all through the summer. But that's pretty much ... it's not the same as before. I talked to [former president] Peter Feigin when he was here every other day and even now when he’s not here, I still speak with him.”
Those who have done business with the Bucks, including teams that inquired about Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline, told ESPN that Haslam was more involved in decisions than before. One team owner even had direct negotiations with Haslam rather than Edens about a potential deal for Antetokounmpo, multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions told ESPN. "We mostly dealt with [GM Jon] Horst," an executive with one of the teams that heavily engaged with the Bucks told ESPN. "But our impression was that Jimmy was really the one who would decide this."
Jon Horst and the Bucks front office have decided to waive journeyman Nigel Hayes-Davis, who got another shot in the NBA this season with the Phoenix Suns after a long and successful career overseas.
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The Cleveland Browns introduced a new head coach, Todd Monken, earlier today. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who is also a co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, spoke with media members following today's introductory press conference and briefly addressed the prospect of the Bucks trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. "Giannis is a top three, top four player in the world," Haslam said. "He brought Milwaukee its first championship in 50 years several years ago, and he's a really good person too. He's no problem. He's a great leader, tries hard. "And I think Giannis and the Bucks — and I think this goes back before we were involved — have always worked closely to see what's best for Giannis and what's best for the Bucks, and we'll continue to do so. " While that doesn't give fans much insight into which way the Bucks might be leaning 48 hours before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Haslam was also asked a follow-up question: What does a successful trade for Antetokounmpo look like, if there is one? "That's a question for (general manager) Jon Horst," Haslam replied.
While the race for top contender in the East is still up for debate, the biggest storyline in the conference -- and the NBA -- is not. In conversations with sources around the league over the past 48 hours, the widespread expectation is that the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga will drag out until at least Thursday. Then, Bucks general manager Jon Horst and his staff will have to decide whether to make a move now or wait until the offseason. Three sources said they expect the trade drama in Milwaukee to stretch into the summer. "I'm just not sure why it wouldn't make sense to wait," an East scout said. "They can see where the draft [lottery] is, and survey their options then." But Milwaukee is taking calls, surveying the trade value for its superstar forward in a way the franchise, as one source said, has never before.
Michael Scotto: I’ve spoken to plenty of GMs that are would love to have Giannis Antetokounmpo and have tried to talk to Bucks GM Jon Horst about acquiring him and quite frankly, he's not going anywhere. They they've been telling me uh the Bucks have been steadfast that he's not going anywhere. So then you look at other names on the market, whether it's Anthony Davis that's kind of popped up a little bit, but as I touched on, Dallas is still in a little bit of an evaluation period, trying to see how he looks with Cooper Flagg.
I must also pass along that there are sources with knowledge of the situation who continue to caution that a true divorce for franchise and superstar might have to wait until the offseason, when there's more draft capital in the marketplace and when it's easier to make salary matching work. Yet so long as the Bucks falter — which only fuels the belief that Antetokounmpo's commitment to the Bucks is wavering — other teams are going to be ringing Jon Horst's front office.