As the Milwaukee Bucks sit in a 0-2 playoff hole against the Indiana Pacers, they are making moves within the organization.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the Bucks and general manager Jon Horst have come to terms on a contract extension. Of course, with Milwaukee currently struggling against the Pacers, the timing of this is certainly interesting. However, with rumors swirling that teams, such as the Phoenix Suns, per Marc Stein and The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin, were interested in the former Executive of the Year, the Bucks felt like locking Horst up long-term was the right play.
It's a bold swing, to say the least.
Milwaukee Bucks retain Jon Horst with multi-year extension
Jon Horst gets a lot of negative press for some of his moves, and rightfully so. However, he's also had a hand in several impactful moves, such as trading for Jrue Holiday and P.J. Tucker, which helped add a championship to Milwaukee's legacy, and got Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign multiple extensions.
Focusing on the negative, the Kyle Kuzma trade looks pretty ugly right now, especially having traded a franchise legend in Khris Middleton. This is just speculation, but it wouldn't be too shocking if there was a mandate from ownership to get out of the second apron and lessen the bill, especially with just how involved ownership has reportedly been in other situations, that brought forth that trade.
For instance, after the Milwaukee Bucks let Adrian Griffin go in the middle of last season, rumor has it that Horst wanted to hire Kenny Atkinson to replace him. Instead, ownership wanted Doc Rivers, and they had the final say. Fast forward, and Atkinson is leading the East's best squad while Rivers is likely on his last leg in Milwaukee already. It's a significant what-if plaguing the Bucks franchise right now.
Knowing that they may have a crucial offseason ahead, the Milwaukee Bucks likely did not want to undergo a general manager search in addition to a potential coaching search while making what many hope will be major roster changes. Again, it's bold, as it felt like the Bucks could really benefit from a fresh start regarding the front office and coaching staff, but here were are.
No matter how things end the rest of the way, the Milwaukee Bucks now know that Jon Horst will be in the front office moving forward, giving them at least some clarity. It will be interesting to see what the former Executive of the Year can do without the restraints of the second apron and potentially with a coach of his choosing.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.