Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst will do what's best for the franchise, not Giannis Antetokounmpo.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo asks for a trade out of Milwaukee, which seemingly hasn't happened yet, it will without question be the biggest story in recent NBA history. It will also put Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst in a difficult situation. However, we may already have an early indication of what a possible Giannis trade could look like. It will revolve around Horst doing what's best for the Bucks and not necessarily Giannis.
Even though this tactic would be somewhat polarizing across the league, this is the exact approach he needs to take if Giannis does end up asking out of Milwaukee. At the end of the day, it's Horst's job to make the Bucks a winner, not appease Giannis. He does seem to know that.
According to NBA insider Sam Amick, Bucks general manager Jon Horst, if he has to trade Giannis, is going to do what's best for the Bucks and not just try to remain on good terms with the superstar forward. This isn't exactly surprising, and it has become the norm across the NBA in recent years. We saw this most recently with Damian Lillard.
Jon Horst could take a tip from Joe Cronin when trading Giannis
Even though the Portland Trail Blazers wanted to right by Lillard, Portland GM Joe Cronin did what was best for the franchise by trading him to Milwaukee instead of his preferred destination of Miami. I can't help but wonder if we may see something similar with Giannis.
If Giannis does ask for a trade, there's probably going to be a list of teams he prefers to be traded to. But, at least for now, there's no guarantee that Horst is going to have to stick to that list of teams. That's not his job and shouldn't be his goal if he needs to trade Giannis. It should be to get the best return, one that is going to put them in the best spot as they move forward with a rebuilding of their roster.
It's certainly something else to think about as this saga continues. It's hard to predict, at least for now, whether Giannis will hit the trade block or not. However, there is a growing sentiment across the league that Giannis is going to ask for a trade. Will that come this offseason? Will Giannis give the Bucks one summer to figure out the future?
As the NBA offseason quickly approaches, it's certainly the biggest storyline of the summer. With one decision, this offseason quickly shifts to the Summer of Giannis. If that does happen, it will be interesting to see how the dynamic is between the Bucks and Giannis. This will never be the same, and that much will be revealed in how Horst handles such a situation. One thing is clear: all eyes are on Milwaukee. They're the epicenter of the NBA offseason.