Horst savors first combine as Bucks' GM
CHICAGO - Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst sat courtside with his staff at Quest Multisport on Thursday and Friday, watching four teams of some of the best NBA draft prospects show their stuff at the league’s annual combine.
It’s far from Horst’s first experience at the combine, as he was a regular member of Milwaukee’s cohort in recent years as the team’s director of basketball operations. But this year’s event marks his first as the team’s general manager after he ascended to that role last June.
With the Bucks set to pick 17th in the draft June 21 at Brooklyn’s Barclays
Center, Horst is looking to make the most of this year’s league-wide gathering, which includes more than just five-on-five games and measuring wingspans and vertical jump heights.
“The combine’s a really great thing,” Horst said. “You spend time interviewing guys and learning about their backgrounds and things that make them tick and things that are important to them. You get to hear some of the questions and feedback regarding your own team and situation.
“In terms of playing, the opportunity to watch them play five-on-five against other really good, high-level competition up close and personal, that’s really good.”
When it comes to the Bucks in particular, the draft is just one of the elements of their busy off-season. The team announced the hiring of head coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday and will need to navigate the tricky waters of free agency — including making a decision on restricted free agent Jabari Parker. Horst and the Bucks’ front office also will need to consider possible contract extensions for Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon, each of whom will be playing out the last certain year of his contract in 2018-’19 (Middleton has a $13 million player option for 2019-’20).
The first of Milwaukee’s upcoming decisions will be the draft.
“We want to draft someone that can help our team, that can impact our team hopefully now, immediately, but also going forward,” Horst said. “It’s a great opportunity to have a draft pick, to add that to your roster.”
Coaching opportunity: Bucks assistant coach Vin Baker was working at the combine, though in a different capacity than most other NBA coaches in attendance. He served as a coach for one of the teams of combine participants, leading his group alongside a pair of other coaches, Steve Gansey and Reggie Theus.
Baker found himself on the sideline after responding to a message from the league looking for combine coaches and throwing his hat in the ring. He got a boost from the Bucks in the application process, too.
“Just to get another opportunity to work on my craft,” Baker said. “Learning the playbook, putting plays down on the board in a timely fashion, getting guys to execute it . ...
“It’s surreal just coming here and seeing all the great legends — seeing Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas in the same building. And obviously all the executives and getting a chance to perform in some ways in front of them. But more importantly it’s about the kids and helping them to develop and understanding what they’re doing for the next two days and being a part of it.”
Baker started the 2017-’18 season as an analyst with Fox Sports Wisconsin and helped as an assistant coach for the Bucks in a voluntary role. When head coach Jason Kidd was fired and Joe Prunty was promoted, Baker was brought on in an official capacity, marking his first NBA coaching job.
With the hiring of Budenholzer, though, the jobs of this past season’s Bucks assistants is in flux. In general, new head coaches bring in their own staffs, which means coaches like Baker, along with Stacey Augmon and Greg Foster, who were also at the combine wearing Bucks gear, are facing an uncertain future.
“Not exactly sure yet,” Baker said when asked what comes next. “But I’m looking forward to what the next move is for me in Milwaukee. For me, I’m just excited for Coach Budenholzer, I’m excited for Jon Horst, for (assistant GM) Milt Newton and I’m excited for the players. This is a tremendous opportunity for them.
“Obviously we wanted to be further along, but I’m a people person. I understand the business of it. Being with the kids all year long we got a lot of highcharacter kids — Giannis (Antetokounmpo), Khris, Eric, Malcolm — kids I really got close to.
“I’m excited for them in the future. I’m excited obviously with the fans in Milwaukee. I have a great relationship with the community in Milwaukee. So, new building, new coaching staff and a tremendous opportunity for this team.”