The Pistons’ search for a new team president of basketball operations may have to go back to the drawing board.
In his latest Substack column, Marc Stein cites sources who say that the Bucks refused to allow Detroit to interview Jon Horst, despite a belief that Milwaukee’s team president was open to a conversation.
Horst was honored as the league’s Executive of the Year in 2018/19 and helped guide the Bucks to their first championship after a 50-year drought in 2021. Horst inked a long-term extension with the club that fall. Most recently, he helped orchestrate the team’s deal to acquire All-Star point guard Damian Lillard last offseason, while also re-signing aging veterans Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to lucrative new deals.
Milwaukee underwent a tumultuous 2023/24 season. Horst hired and fired first-time head coach Adrian Griffin to lead the team’s Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo superstar tandem and brought in his replacement, Doc Rivers. With Jrue Holiday gone, the team’s perimeter defense fell off, though Rivers helped stabilize it somewhat when he took over. Ultimately, the Bucks finished with a 49-33 record and the East’s No. 3 seed. Lillard and Antetokounmpo were felled by injuries, and Milwaukee was upset in its first round series against the sixth-seeded Pacers.
Horst is a Michigan native whose work in the NBA began with the Pistons, so it would make sense for him to be intrigued by the opportunity to run Detroit’s front office. Conversely, it’s not a huge surprise that the Bucks wouldn’t want their top front office decision maker — who has been the architect for much of their recent success with Antetokounmpo — to be poached by a direct Central Division rival.
The Pistons, who are demoting but retaining general manager Troy Weaver, have also been linked to Mavericks consultant Dennis Lindsey and former Knicks general manager Scott Perry. Stein has previously noted that Timberwolves president Tim Connelly is viewed as a potential target if he were to opt out of his current contract, agreed to when Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore were expected to become Minnesota’s majority owners.
Detroit is coming off one of its worst seasons ever, having finished with a league-worst 14-68 record during their first year under head coach Monty Williams. Though Detroit was no doubt hoping to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft thanks to its miserable 2023/24 run, the team instead fell in Sunday’s draft lottery, and will now pick fifth.
I could do better than anyone
Traded Bogdonovic and Burks for second round picks, fell four spots in the lottery 2 years in a row, massively overpaid a coach with no record of talent or player development and no championships, #5 overall pick last year shot under 20% from 3, have to offer Cade the maximum extension and he still might nope out….
Horst doesn’t want anything to do with that dumpster fire.
May of 2024: Bucks won’t allow Horst to seek other employment.
May of 2025 (if not sooner)-probably: Bucks fire Horst, as the scapegoat for yet another early playoff exit.
I’m sure Giannis will demand a trade before then.
No, he only hints at wanting to be traded, in order to convince management/ownership to make the moves he wants.
Or talk about retirement.
You know things are that bad in Detroit, when your mother team refuses you to even interview with them.
They should promote their Head Coach to GM. That would get rid of their lousy head coach.
I’d let him interview and tell Detroit it will cost you a 1st round pick.
Who would trade a first round pick for a lousy GM. He took a title contender and has turned them into a laughing stock.
…Detroit?
Horst, the guy who traded Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen and fired the coach who had a 30-13 record. That’s why the bucks are not a title contender anymore. Giannis will ask for a trade by next season.