The Milwaukee Bucks have a difficult offseason ahead of them. After failing to advance past the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the second year in a row, the team is tasked with finding a way to surround an aging core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, and Khris Middleton with younger players that can keep up with the faster teams in the Eastern Conference.
The challenge, of course, is that the Bucks are in the second apron of the salary cap, which means they cannot really trade away any of their players without getting the exact same salary in return.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory for the Bucks, though. They have had a high payroll for years and have still found ways to put together a competitive team. The architect of these teams, Jon Horst, was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2019 and built a NBA Championship roster in 2020-21.
However, one division rival has been eyeing Horst for their own front office.
The Detroit Pistons Are Interested in Hiring Milwaukee Bucks General Manager Jon Horst
Mjs Bucks10 01943
As reported a few weeks ago (on April 19, to be exact), the Detroit Pistons have expressed interest in interviewing Horst for their vacant President of Basketball Operations position. Not only that, Horst is interested in speaking to them as well.
While it may not make sense to fans why Horst would want to leave a perennial contender like Milwaukee for a franchise that has finished with the worst record in the NBA for two seasons in a row, it is important to consider the fact that Horst is a Michigan native and got his start in NBA front offices with the Pistons.
There is also the notion that Horst really does not have anything left to prove in Milwaukee. He has already won a title. Perhaps he is intrigued by the challenge of turning the Pistons around, much like he turned the Bucks around.
The Milwaukee Bucks Have Denied Jon Horst Permission to Interview with the Detroit Pistons
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Pistons will not get the opportunity to talk to Horst, nor he to them. The Bucks have denied their Central Division rivals permission to interview their general manager:
“The Bucks this week declined to grant permission to the Pistons to interview Michigan native Jon Horst in Detroit’s search for a new president of basketball operations, league sources say.
“It is believed that Horst, who won Executive of the Year honors in Milwaukee in 2018-19 and more recently made the trade that brought Damian Lillard to the Bucks in September, was indeed interested in speaking to the Pistons. Horst signed a multiyear contract extension with the Bucks in October 2021 with two years left on his deal at the time.”
This is a major win for the Bucks because, if fans recall, Horst is the one who signed Giannis to not one, but two supermax extensions. Keeping him in Milwaukee is truly the best thing for the franchise.
What will happen when his contract is up in two years? Hopefully the team has another ring or two and Horst will not be as willing to search for other opportunities.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
