The Milwaukee Bucks made it official. Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone, traded to the Miami Heat in a deal that closes the book on the most successful era in franchise history. And now the general manager who helped build that era has finally said something about it.
Jon Horst released a statement Thursday through the team’s official social media accounts, thanking Antetokounmpo for everything he did in Milwaukee. And honestly, it was the kind of statement you’d expect when a player of that magnitude leaves town.
“There are few players in the history of professional sports who have elevated a franchise, a city, and a fan base the way Giannis Antetokounmpo has for Milwaukee and the Bucks,” Horst said. “Together, we experienced moments that will live forever in franchise history, punctuated by the 2021 NBA Championship. On behalf of our entire organization, please join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to Giannis and his family.”
It reads like a eulogy, which in a way it is. The Bucks won a title in 2021. They had back-to-back MVPs from a guy who came from Greece as a skinny teenager and turned into maybe the most dominant two-way force of his generation. Now that’s over, and Milwaukee has to figure out what comes next.
Horst also made it clear the organization isn’t waving a white flag. “Our purpose remains unchanged,” he said. “To once again build a championship-caliber team that makes Milwaukee proud for years to come.”
What the Bucks got back
They didn’t trade Giannis for nothing. The return from Miami includes Tyler Herro, who’s a genuine bucket-getter but also the kind of guy who’s been floated in trade rumors basically since he got drafted. There are also multiple draft picks involved, though the exact protections and pick swaps depend on who you ask. The team hasn’t released the full terms, and probably won’t until they have to.
Still, nobody’s pretending this is an even swap. You don’t replace Giannis. You just start over. And starting over in a small market like Milwaukee is harder than it is in Los Angeles or Miami. The Bucks are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league next season, which is a weird thing to say about a franchise that was in the conference finals three years ago.
But there’s no bad blood here, which is almost rare these days. Giannis posted a goodbye video on social media, and it was sincere. The fans still love him. When the Heat come to Fiserv Forum next season, you can bet they’ll play a tribute video and the building will lose its mind. That’s how it should be.
The hard part now is the rebuild. Horst has to prove he can do it again. He built a champion once. The question is whether he can do it without a once-in-a-generation talent in the building.
Leave a Comment