The Milwaukee Bucks have the most regular season wins in the NBA since Jon Horst became general manager in 2017. They qualified for the playoffs every year and won a championship in 2021. Horst is never afraid to make bold moves and continues to try to put a yearly title contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
No top decision-maker has a perfect track record. Horst joined the Bucks in 2008 after a 26-win season. He has helped them grow from lucky to make the playoffs to a contender as he rose the ranks. Still, there are misses, and some have cost the franchise more than others.
Horst has not prioritized the draft, seen a few trades go awry, and missed on multiple free-agent signings. Overall, he deserves credit for building a championship team and making them into an annual contender, but the franchise certainly regrets these moves.
8. Serge Ibaka trade
Consider this only a slight miss by Horst. Ibaka was one of the best defenders in the world during his prime. He helped the young Thunder, featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, reach the NBA Finals in 2012. Ibaka played a key role on the Raptors 2019 championship squad but quickly slowed down after turning 30.
The 6’11 big man went from averaging 15.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks during their title season to just 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 15.4 minutes per game three years later. Things were not working out in LA in 2022, and the Bucks were searching for a big man with Brook Lopez injured.
It became a four-team trade that saw Milwaukee swap Donte DiVincenzo, Rodney Hood, and Semi Ojeleye to get Ibaka and two second-round draft picks. DiVincenzo was struggling to return from an injury and became a restricted free agent in the offseason. The Bucks did not think they could pay him, but he took just a two-year $9 million contract with the Warriors and opted for free agency after just one season in the Bay Area.
Ibaka averaged just 17.8 minutes per game during the regular season and was removed from the rotation in the playoffs. He ended up returning for the 2022-23 campaign but was traded at the deadline after appearing in just 16 contests. It was the end of Ibaka’s time in the NBA and turned into a disappointing trade for Horst and the Bucks. They hoped he could be a strong rebounder, rim protector, and floor spacer, but it just never worked.