Milwaukee Bucks General Manager Jon Horst acknowledged the emotional difficulty behind the decision to trade Khris Middleton, calling it “the hardest transaction” he’s had to make in his career.
Despite the challenge, Horst emphasized the importance of the moves made, which included the acquisition of Kyle Kuzma, along with Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter. He expressed that these additions were necessary to bolster the team’s strength.
“Collectively, I think we’re deeper in the spots we needed to be deeper,” Horst remarked. “This gave us an opportunity to diversify a little bit, to kind of put money and talent and roster spots in other places where I thought we needed help.”
By reinforcing critical areas of the roster, Horst believes the team will be better positioned to compete.
While Middleton’s recent injury struggles were acknowledged, Horst clarified that they did not play a significant role in the decision-making process.
He further stated that the goal of the trade wasn’t explicitly to get under the second apron of the salary cap, although he recognized that doing so offers future benefits.
“We believe that this gives us a better chance to win this year,” Horst continued. “It happens to also put us under the second apron, which gives us some benefits going forward. There’s no question. And we’ll hopefully maximize those benefits. But that wasn’t the intent.”
Jon Horst Says Khris Middleton Trade Was About Depth, Not Injuries https://t.co/018TO74gPr
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 11, 2025
