{"id":1872079,"date":"2026-04-08T11:53:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1872079"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:53:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:53:20","slug":"full-qa-with-bucks-gm-jon-horst-on-giannis-masterful-doc-rivers-and-teams-unclear-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1872079","title":{"rendered":"Full Q&A with Bucks GM Jon Horst on Giannis, \u2018masterful\u2019 Doc Rivers and team\u2019s unclear future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NEW YORK \u2014 The 2025-26 season has not gone the way anyone associated with the Milwaukee Bucks wanted it to go.<\/p>\n

The Bucks (31-48) have been eliminated from Play-In Tournament contention for more than a week, and they will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. In the lead-up to a pivotal offseason, the Bucks put together a disappointing season amid a slew of injuries and consistently poor play.<\/p>\n

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Rumors about the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo persisted throughout the season, all while the Bucks star missed more games due to injury than he has in any other season for his career. The intrigue about Antetokounmpo\u2019s future will reach a fever pitch again this summer, but that will be far from the only question in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

As recently as Tuesday night, head coach Doc Rivers has hinted at the possibility of no longer serving as an NBA head coach<\/a> after 2 1\/2 seasons with the Bucks. The team will have a lottery pick for the first time in 10 years, and once it gets to draft night, it\u2019ll have three tradeable first-round picks.<\/p>\n

To give some insight into what happened in this disappointing season and help give a better idea of what to expect moving forward, general manager Jon Horst sat down<\/a> with The Athletic<\/em> and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the team\u2019s hotel in New York Tuesday afternoon before the Bucks lost to the Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n

(This interview was lightly edited for clarity.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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Giannis has mentioned that you need couples therapy or counseling. I\u2019d be curious what you think of that. Whether you feel like you\u2019ve done things right or wrong professionally, how do you feel about him believing this is a strained relationship? How does that affect you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have never and will never speak for Giannis. Never tried to. Never wanted to. Only supported him. Only cared for him. And I will continue to do that because it\u2019s real. I think this is the first time in 10 years we\u2019re going to miss the playoffs. It\u2019s not the first time in 10 years that we didn\u2019t win a championship. But it\u2019s the first time in 10 years that I think, realistically, by the time we got to the end of the regular season, we haven\u2019t felt like we had a chance, right?<\/p>\n

We may have had points in the beginning of seasons, middle of the seasons, in a playoff series where we just found out we\u2019re not as good as we thought we were. For whatever reason: injuries, mix, whatever. But at the end of almost every year or every regular season we\u2019ve had so far, we\u2019re in a spot, we\u2019re in a really good spot to do something. If we\u2019re healthy, we\u2019re going to have a chance. Best player in the world, all those things. And so, that\u2019s tough.<\/p>\n

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During all those successes and all the things that we\u2019ve been able to ride through together \u2014 as an organization, as a star player, as a general manager, as a supporting cast, coaches \u2014 there\u2019s a lot of positive, right? Sometimes, there\u2019s more bulls\u2014 going on than you know, and in these cases, sometimes there\u2019s less. But when you\u2019re winning, it\u2019s really positive. A lot of positive stories, a lot of positive feelings, and it\u2019s a lot easier to stay positive and stay supportive and do the right thing.<\/p>\n

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What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n
\n \"Giannis<\/p>\n
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\n Giannis and the Bucks are doing a lot of talking. But actions mean more than words\n <\/div>\n
\n Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee have different stories to tell. But the ending is all that matters.\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

And then when it\u2019s really hard because you\u2019re losing, you\u2019re struggling, no one\u2019s happy this season. Doc\u2019s been an unbelievable partner for me going through a really tough season. We haven\u2019t won a playoff series in three years or four years, whatever. Well, Doc\u2019s been part of that, and we\u2019ve had injuries every year. Giannis has been part of that. I\u2019ve been part of that. The teams that we\u2019ve built, the injuries that we\u2019ve had, the decisions we\u2019ve made, we\u2019ve all been part of that, and we\u2019re all part of this right now. But for me, I don\u2019t classify that as a strained relationship.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have any less love or respect or belief or gratitude toward Giannis or anyone that works with him. I really don\u2019t. I am going through a tough situation. We are going through a tough situation together, and I\u2019m only trying to find the right outcome. I\u2019m trying to do that together with them, and I\u2019m trying to do what\u2019s best for us and best for them, even if it\u2019s uncomfortable. But I don\u2019t have any ill will. I don\u2019t feel a strained relationship. I feel the results of a strange situation of a season that\u2019s not where any of us wanted it to be. He had hopes of having a great season. He had belief. He\u2019s done everything (he) can. That\u2019s absolutely true. I have, too. So has Doc Rivers. So has Kyle Kuzma. We didn\u2019t get there. For the first time in 10 years, we didn\u2019t get there, where going into the playoffs we were like, \u201cMan, we got a chance,\u201d and that sucks. I\u2019m pretty excited about figuring it out going forward, but right now, it sucks.<\/p>\n

Do you think clarity is needed? Like, what\u2019s the direction? Going forward, are you operating as a team that plans to have Giannis or a team that plans to trade him? It feels like there is a greater need for that this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The lack of clarity, the lack of understanding my role, lack of fit \u2014 is that because it exists and there isn\u2019t any clarity, no conversation, no directness? Or is it because we\u2019re not winning? So, there must be a reason. There must be an excuse. And the truth is, it\u2019s all a reason. It all plays into it.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no singular hero or knight riding in on the horse that saves the day and there\u2019s no singular villain. It\u2019s all of us in it together trying to figure it out. I don\u2019t look at it as lack of clarity. At all. I just think I look at it more as a symptom or where we\u2019re at. Going forward, I don\u2019t know what we\u2019re gonna do, and I don\u2019t have to. Like, we don\u2019t have to. What Wes (Edens) said is \u2014 you can take it however you want to take it \u2014 but what he said, in most cases, is accurate, right? In most cases, you either \u2014 whether you have an actual commitment and you offer an actual extension, it\u2019s way more about sentimentality and alignment and togetherness and path. You either have an alignment and an understanding and, not commitment necessarily, but a path forward together that you understand and you go execute it. You could call that an extension, or you try to figure out the best win-win that you possibly can moving forward via a trade.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s not actually the only two doors, right? There\u2019s door No. 3 that actually exists, but that\u2019s just a level-set, non-emotional reality of where it\u2019s at on Oct. 1. And I\u2019m not saying that you do something beforehand. I\u2019m just saying you do have to understand where you want to go, but we don\u2019t have to know that today.<\/p>\n

Yeah, we have three tradable firsts, right? We have tradable contracts. We have one of the best players in the world \u2014 the<\/em> best player in the world, in my opinion \u2014 under contract. We have a high draft pick this year that hopefully it\u2019s a great opportunity to have a great pick in a great draft. We have to get that right. We either have to draft the right player and have that be a big part of how we go forward and compete, or we have to execute a trade using the value of that.<\/p>\n

And the truth is I don\u2019t know. We don\u2019t know what we\u2019re going to do today, and we don\u2019t have to. What I do think we have to do is be very honest, very direct, make a big assessment. We learned a lot this year. It\u2019s a pretty great opportunity. Of course, I\u2019d rather be in the playoffs and be planning for whoever we\u2019re going to play, but we\u2019re not. So, what can we learn from it and figure out how do we get to where we want to get as quick as we can.<\/p>\n

But to get alignment, it can\u2019t be foggy, right?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Totally, yeah. Of course you have to have clarity and alignment on where you want to go as an organization, what matters to Giannis, but I\u2019m saying we don\u2019t have to know that today. I don\u2019t count that as a lack of clarity or a lack of communication. That\u2019s just the set of circumstances. We have to figure that out, and we have to, in part, use what we learned from this year and, in part, (where) we want to go and where he wants to go. I\u2019ve always cared what he thinks, and we gotta figure it out, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s foggy because it\u2019s not one path fits all. I think you have to truly evaluate both paths. I don\u2019t know what we\u2019re going to do.<\/p>\n

During your time as general manager, when expectations haven\u2019t been met, changes have been made, including the firing of coaches. The season featured many losses where it felt like a change might need to be made, so why wasn\u2019t a coaching change made?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What I say to that, and it\u2019s very sincere, is we built a team \u2014 me as the architect of it, Doc and ownership in alignment \u2014 that was built for pace, shooting, offense where we thought we hope we\u2019re good enough defensively. We\u2019re not sure. There\u2019s some things we\u2019re gonna try stylistically, roster-wise, where we think we can take a jump defensively, but we have a chance to be elite offensively. That\u2019s the group that we built, Doc included. Committed to a style of play. Had an offseason and a training camp where we instituted it.<\/p>\n

Came out of the gates doing it. And at whatever point in the first quarter of that game, I believe the second- or third-most important catalyst for doing that (Kevin Porter Jr.) goes out for 20 games. And then we have inconsistent health with Giannis. Now, I\u2019m not making excuses. I\u2019m not saying this was a perfectly built team. We might have overcalculated or miscalculated on whatever, but I do know that \u2014 and you\u2019re probably like OK, Jon, we\u2019ve heard it before, but it\u2019s true \u2014 we have two of the top-20 lineups in the NBA in net rating and the best offensive lineup in the NBA with a real sample size. The only other teams that have that are Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Detroit. I say all this to say, we just didn\u2019t get to it. Inconsistencies and who these guys play with and what the lineups are, I think we\u2019re probably in the top 10 in the most starting lineups used.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to put that blame on Doc. That\u2019s a massive undertaking to say we built this roster, we talk so much about changing style of play and our pace and what we do and then bang, big weapon\u2019s gone. And a little bit later, big weapon\u2019s gone. And then you\u2019re in this constant catch-up game. I can\u2019t speak to what the players do or don\u2019t feel, what the feeling is in the locker room. I can\u2019t and I won\u2019t speak to those things. I try really hard to put myself in coaching. I do know it was an incredibly tough year and, in my opinion, Doc did his absolute best to keep the train on the rails as long as possible, and I think it was kind of masterful in a lot of ways. Did he hit every single thing right? No. Did I? No. But it\u2019s a really challenging year. He was unbelievable to work with throughout the year with it.<\/p>\n

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He was incredible going through a really tough year. He\u2019s still incredible. It\u2019s crazy. He\u2019s doing everything he can. And that\u2019s truly how I feel. I understand the question. That\u2019s truly how I feel. Ownership, too.<\/p>\n

Most coaches don\u2019t like to coach on one-year deals. Before the Mavericks game, Doc gave us what felt like a farewell statement. Then, in recent games, he has let Darvin Ham take on a larger role. It feels like he\u2019s done or potentially ready to move on. Where does Doc stand?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I won\u2019t comment on anything contractual. I never do that.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t actually know exactly where the records were, the seedings, but we\u2019ve had very good teams every year, except for this year, that had a real chance going into the playoffs. The last couple years, one before him and two with him and then this year, injuries have gotten us. That\u2019s just the tip of other things he and I have had to manage together. He\u2019s been an unbelievable partner in managing those things, and I\u2019ve enjoyed working with him. I value his input. I don\u2019t know the outcome; we\u2019re gonna figure it all out. I think we\u2019ll figure it all out pretty quickly and what that looks like going forward.<\/p>\n

(What) I don\u2019t know yet is the answer. I think we will know, but I don\u2019t know yet.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the timeline on a coaching decision? Because whether Doc is back or not, I would imagine the No. 1 question for any coaching candidate will be, \u2018Will Giannis be on the team?\u2019 One would think that could affect someone\u2019s desire to be on the bench.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t agree with that. I don\u2019t. I think, of course, we want to do as much as we can to figure out a path and get as much clarity as we can. We don\u2019t have that clarity now. That decision hasn\u2019t been made.<\/p>\n

You have three draft picks you could move and have some financial assets. Do you feel empowered to go down that path?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, I do.<\/p>\n

So, you truly believe that both paths \u2014 trading Antetokounmpo to move in a different direction with those picks, or trading the picks to surround Antetokounmpo with better talent \u2014 still remain in front of you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I do, yeah. Absolutely. And not only just from my perspective, but I also believe from Giannis\u2019 mindset and his perspective. Whether we need couples therapy or whatever, the assets will still be there. I do feel empowered that yeah, those things are both viable things for us to look at and consider.<\/p>\n

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Do Wes and Jimmy and Dee Haslam have to decide on what level they want to try to win? And do they need to let you know what level that is?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think so. Jimmy, Wes and I have made all these decisions together. They\u2019re stewards of the organization. It\u2019s their organization. As someone who tries to operate in partnership with them and create the best recommendations and options that we can, I think there\u2019s a difference between trying to compete as much as we can as long as we can every year and saying, \u201cWe have to win a championship this year.\u201d I think our messaging at times said that, so I\u2019m not disagreeing with you, but I have consistently. Wes, and now Wes and Jimmy, we want to build something that\u2019s sustainable. So, I don\u2019t think the motivation is again, throw everything into one last hurrah, like \u201cLast Dance\u201d or whatever.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not going to be their agenda. Their agenda has always been, and will continue to be, here are the resources, here is the \u201cyou have the opportunity to go do your job, make the decisions, here\u2019s the resources to do it, we want to counsel and work with you, and let\u2019s be as competitive as we possibly can for as long as we possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n

So I don\u2019t need to hear anything different from them. That\u2019s what it is. I do believe there\u2019s multiple paths to do that, and I think the most competitive team you could have next year has Giannis on it. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a secret.<\/p>\n

Teams have called about Giannis in the past, but the answer was always definitively no. So, why now actually consider offers for him?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think your characterization is right. The answer of \u201cwhy now\u201d is, it\u2019s probably all the way back to when you get to these points in tenure with each other. I think it\u2019s likely, like Wes said, that you either figure out the path forward, and you align and you kind of agree to commit to each other on who you want to be and what that looks like and, eventually, an extension. Or, you try to find the best resolution for everyone. I think that it\u2019s just the why is not that complicated. It\u2019s just different now than it might have been two years ago or three years ago. And, that\u2019s OK. That doesn\u2019t mean the result is going to be different.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re about to go through this again. From May through February, the drama surrounding Antetokounmpo\u2019s future hung over the team. He had to address it multiple times. Players and Doc both called it troublesome. Do you look back and wish the team could have messaged its intent differently to avoid the speculation affecting the team all year long?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We definitely said we were moving forward with Giannis (to start this season). I didn\u2019t have to keep repeating it. If I say it, I mean it, I live it, and that\u2019s enough. We said we were moving forward with Giannis, we were moving forward with Giannis. So, I don\u2019t think there was a miscommunication or mis-messaging from our side on that. I think there\u2019s no question that the noise had an impact. It\u2019s part of what I was alluding to, like the struggles and how great Doc has been at managing those. But I also don\u2019t think that is a singular result of chatter or rumors or stories that are out there, or facts that are out there, or whatever level you want to say.<\/p>\n

If he plays 75 games and \u201cScoot\u201d (Porter) plays 75 games, then maybe those things don\u2019t get as much weight. Maybe they do. I don\u2019t know the outcome of that. So, it\u2019s hard for me to say I regret how we message. I don\u2019t regret that. I\u2019m not happy with where we\u2019re at or the results or the outcome of a lot of things. No one is. But I don\u2019t regret a messaging component or a clarity component. I think we were very clear: We are trying to win; we\u2019re doing everything we can to win, everything to build a team around Giannis. We believe in the team, and we\u2019re gonna go forward. And, it didn\u2019t work. Now we got another chance to try and do it again and see if it works.<\/p>\n

Do you need an assurance from Giannis that he would sign an extension before you begin roster building this offseason? Or, do you have the same faith that if you build a team like before, he will extend yet again?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I trust and believe what Giannis has said and has been written: \u201cI want to win, and if I can win in Milwaukee that\u2019s where I want to be.\u201d You know? Everything else is conversation, alignment, discussion \u2026 and that\u2019s for him and that\u2019s for us. But 100 percent believe that Giannis Antetokounmpo cares about winning and would love to win in Milwaukee. I believe that.<\/p>\n

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You have some time left on an extension you signed in the spring of 2025. How are you approaching any other potential opportunities this offseason?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never pursued another opportunity. There have been other inquiries for me in the past, and I\u2019m grateful, humbled by that. It\u2019s never really been a consideration for me (and my wife). Our kids are from Milwaukee, where they go to school, the church that we go to, the sports teams that they play on, their music lessons, going to Fiserv (Forum). As long as I have an opportunity to do this and have the responsibility to try to do the best I can for the Milwaukee Bucks, that\u2019s all I want to do.<\/p>\n

If at some point that\u2019s not the case, then of course, like everyone else, I have to consider what else is out there. But as long as I have the opportunity with the Bucks, that\u2019s all I want. One, because I love the Bucks. Two, I\u2019m incredibly grateful to Wes. At the end of the day, Wes stuck his neck out for me and has continually. Jimmy\u2019s been unbelievable for me to work with. And, my family loves where we live. We love our community, and that\u2019s way more important than anything else.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2014 The 2025-26 season has not gone the way anyone associated with the Milwaukee Bucks wanted it to go. The Bucks (31-48) have been eliminated from Play-In Tournament contention for more than a week, and they will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. In the lead-up to a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1872079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1872079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872079\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1872079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1872079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1872079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}