Could Kyle Kuzma Trade Put Bucks GM Jon Horst’s Job at Risk?

The Milwaukee Bucks made a big move to bring him in. If it doesn't work out, could Jon Horst be on his way out?

Feb 12, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) dribbles against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks decided to make a relatively big move at the trade deadline. They decided to ship Khris Middleton, who helped them win an NBA title, to Washington in exchange for Kyle Kuzma.

Kuzma is seen in Milwaukee as someone who can help put them over the top. He is someone that they see as a scorer who can take the load off of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Milwaukee also sees Kuzma as someone who can help carry the load offensively in case either one of them gets hurt. They believe now that Kuzma is away from a bad team, his numbers will improve.

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Bucks GM Jon Horst made the tough move to move out a beloved player in Middleton in order to bring Kuzma in. There's no question that it makes the team better in the short-term.

That doesn't mean that there isn't risk involved. If Kuzma doesn't put the Bucks over the hump, that means that Horst shipped out one of the most popular players on the team for nothing.

Could Horst's job be in jeopardy if the Bucks don't win the title in the next couple of years? Since winning the title in 2021, the Bucks haven't made the Conference finals.

While some fans think that Horst should be on the way out, his job should be safe. Horst has built this team into a perennial contender.

There's no reason for his job to be in jeopardy. The team wasn't any good until he took over as GM back in the 2017 season.

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Milwaukee is currently fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. They still have a shot to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Horst helped build the 2021 NBA championship team, which was the first title-winning team in Milwaukee in 50 years. To think that his job would be under fire if this Kuzma trade doesn't work out is absurd.

Now, if Antetokounmpo decides to ask out because he doesn't think the team is going in the right direction, it could signal something different. Anything short of that, and Horst should be around for a while.

So far this season, Kuzma is averaging 15.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

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