​MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jon Horst, the Milwaukee Bucks’ general manager, has a single, clear message about the franchise’s path forward after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo: no one on the team today can honestly say they’re better off without him. In a Zoom briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Horst acknowledged that trading one of the game’s greatest players ever, and the franchise’s all-time leader in many categories, is not something that anyone would describe as an improvement. Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, had one year left on his deal and repeatedly voiced a desire to play for a team focused on championship contention. Horst described the trade as a decision made in the best interest of both sides, not as a reaction to urgent pressure.
The Bucks finished last season with a 32-50 record, ending a nine-year streak of playoff appearances. Injuries limited Antetokounmpo to a career-low 36 games, and Milwaukee has not advanced past the Eastern Conference semifinals since their 2021 title run led by the same star. Horst emphasized that the team did not feel forced into the move by Antetokounmpo’s contract situation. He also noted that the Bucks had not finalized plans for Antetokounmpo when they hired new head coach Taylor Jenkins, suggesting that discussions about a future alongside him were ongoing at the time.
“We truly believed we’ve found an opportunity which is unique,” Horst said. “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. But it wasn’t a ‘have to’ (situation).”
The trade that sent Antetokounmpo and veteran forward Bobby Portis to Miami marks a dramatic shift in the Bucks’ strategy. Milwaukee acquired a group designed to spark a new chapter: 2025 All-Star Tyler Herro, Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, the draft rights to rookie Nate Ament, and a cache of additional draft picks. This haul is expected to underpin a significant retooling as the franchise pivots away from the path that had them chasing championships around Antetokounmpo’s era.
Horst underscored that last offseason’s moves also reflected a broader philosophy rather than a simple pivot prompted by a single event. The Bucks previously waived Damian Lillard under the NBA’s stretch provision and signed Myles Turner in what was viewed as an attempt to extend their competitive window. He recalled that Milwaukee had entered the previous offseason believing there was an opportunity to maximize togetherness and success, a belief that endured through the trade deadline and into the current offseason.
“We went through an offseason last year and we believed that we had an opportunity to maximize something together,” Horst recalled. “We went through a trade deadline where we assessed whether or not that was still the case. And we went into an offseason this year where we took the same approach. This time around, our assessment was the ultimate opportunity we had with Miami was what was best for the Bucks organization now and going forward, and best for Giannis.”
As the Bucks pivot toward this new era, the emphasis will be on building around the pieces they acquired in the deal and on charting a path that for now shines most clearly as a fresh start. The package from Miami, headlined by Herro and enhanced by Jaquez Jr. and Ware, plus the rights to several draft picks, is expected to fuel Milwaukee’s evolution and position the franchise to compete anew in a rapidly changing league. The question remains whether this bold reconfiguration will yield sustained success, but Horst insisted that the current plan was designed to benefit both the organization and Antetokounmpo as they pursue their separate ambitions in the years ahead.