Milwaukee Bucks: Jon Horst signs three-year extension as GM

After a fantastic season for the Milwaukee Bucks, general manager Jon Horst has been rewarded with a three-year extension to his current deal.

Contract talks will dominate most discussion involving the Milwaukee Bucks in the weeks ahead, but first it seems to be the turn of the organization’s most significant negotiator to ink a new deal of his own.

As an obvious reward for an outstanding season and excellent work since he took up the post, Bucks general manager Jon Horst signed a three-year contract extension to remain as the team’s top executive.

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Horst previously had one season remaining on his deal, which means he will now be under contract through the end of the 2022-23 season. That timeframe will not only see him facing important decisions in the coming weeks, and hoping to come to terms on a supermax deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo next summer, but will also require Horst to make key decisions beyond that.

The news of Horst’s new deal was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst – an NBA executive of the year candidate – has signed a three-year contract extension, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 7, 2019

Almost immediately after Wojnarowski’s report, the Bucks made the news official with a press release of their own, and accompanying statements from the key figures involved in the deal.

Owners Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan explained the thinking behind the extension in their statement:

"“Jon’s strong leadership and savvy decision-making ability have been instrumental as we continue to build the Bucks into a championship-caliber organization. He has brought smart processes to our basketball operations and together with Head Coach Mike Budenholzer and President Peter Feigin, Jon has done an incredible job connecting the basketball and business sides of our organization. We are excited about the future of our team and confident in Jon leading us to the highest level.”"

The team press release also included Horst’s own reaction to the deal:

"“I’m thankful to our ownership group for their continued trust and confidence in me. Wes, Marc and Jamie have been resolute in their commitment to building a championship-caliber team, providing the necessary tools and resources, and I look forward to continuing to execute their vision. I am grateful for the partnership I have with Coach Bud and Peter and want to thank my hard-working staff, especially Milt Newton, for their dedication and support in building a championship-level team.”"

Horst landed his current job with the Bucks after what was widely perceived to have been a botched search process. Reports suggested he was something of a compromise selection among the ownership group, yet he has more than proved his worth in the time since.

The most significant move of Horst’s tenure to date was the hire of Mike Budenholzer last summer, but his résumé is jam-packed with a wide array of positive moves.

Horst acquired Eric Bledsoe via trade during his first season in charge, and negotiated something of a discount extension with Bledsoe at the beginning of March this year. He also signed Brook Lopez, Ersan Ilyasova and Pat Connaughton in free agency last summer, acquired George Hill and Nikola Mirotic via trades midseason while also freeing up cap space, and has had somewhat positive early returns from his drafting in the form of D.J. Wilson, Sterling Brown and Donte DiVincenzo.

There’s every chance that Horst will be named NBA Executive of the Year in the weeks ahead, and based on his work this year there can be little doubting his worthiness of receiving that honor.

Horst’s ultimate legacy as an executive in Milwaukee will be determined by what he does in this second stage of his tenure, but there can be no doubting that he has earned the right to make those decisions.