A wise man from New Orleans once said, "Real Gs move in silence, like lasagna," and no NBA GM embodies that sentiment like Jon Horst of the Milwaukee Bucks.
When Milwaukee's longtime general manager has irons in the fire, smoke doesn't usually begin to rise until they're approaching the finish line. This was the case when he stunned the basketball world by trading for Jrue Holiday, and again several years later when they became the surprise destination for star guard Damian Lillard. Even last summer, there were no substantial ties between the Bucks and free-agent center Myles Turner until the deal was completed.
NBA Insiders in Milwaukee and around the world are taking notice of the considerable lack of noise surrounding Horst and the future of Bucks franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Longtime Bucks beat reporter Jim Owczarski alluded to such on the Wisconsin Sports Radio Network, just before The Athletic's Sam Amick made similar comments in an interview with CLNS Media Boston Sports Network from the NBA Finals in New York.
So while the lack of local reporting around the situation might be a source of frustration for Bucks fans, it could also simultaneously be a sign that Horst and his team are hard at work trying to find their best route forward.
Jon Horst has earned the latitude to explore all options for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Horst is not perfect, but no one really is. His track record is a bit of a mixed bag with more draft misses than hits and a shaky trade history to match. But at the end of the day, his success rate is far higher than most GMs around the NBA, and he built the foundation for a championship team through savvy roster construction and patience, pulling new roster-building opportunities out of thin air time after time for his franchise.
There's a strong argument to be made that this is the most consequential offseason of Horst's career. Coming off a disappointing, lost season that left the franchise's relationship with its star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, on thin ice, Horst now has the pressure of an organizational deadline to decide the future of the franchise.
With that being the case, it's only fair that Horst is allowed to explore the entire canvas of the NBA landscape before making any hasty decisions. Between hiring a new coach, draft preparation, Giannis trade calls, and exploring scenarios to improve the current roster, there's barely been a chance for Horst to breathe since the Bucks were eliminated from the Playoffs.
Nonetheless, the silence is telling. National NBA reporters don't seem to have a grasp on what's going on with the Bucks right now, nor do local organizations. Horst and his team appear to have bunkered down to prepare for what's looming after the NBA Finals, which should ultimately be a resolution to this yearlong national media frenzy surrounding Giannis.
Let's hope for Milwaukee's sake that he and Giannis still have the same respectful, cooperative relationship that we've seen over the years, because more so than anything, that's what might save Giannis' future in the Cream City.
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