Jimmy Haslam says they are going to make a decision on Giannis’ future before the NBA Draft and stresses that communication has been good between them despite what some “ESPN” writers say.
Getty
Reports have said that Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst is relying heavily on the 2026 NBA Draft to determine the future of the franchise.
The Milwaukee Bucks are taking major steps in a new direction after one of the franchise’s least successful seasons in recent years. Milwaukee has moved on from Doc Rivers and hired Taylor Jenkins as its new head coach for the future.
On top of this, the Bucks will be closely monitoring the 2026 NBA Draft that takes place on June 23. Milwaukee owns a 3% chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst said the organization is doing extensive research on draft prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft. However, the team is not ruling out using the lottery pick they currently have to improve the roster.
“The draft will be a key indicator of Milwaukee’s franchise direction moving forward,” NBA insider Jake Weinbach added.
A major question for the Bucks organization is whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will be on the roster at the start of next season.
Antetokounmpo, 31, has made his frustrations with the franchise public. The Bucks star has said he is looking to continue being part of winning teams, with a chance to win more championships.
This winning mentality hasn’t gone as planned in recent years. The Bucks have yet to make it out of the first round of the playoffs since its championship run in 2021, and the conversation has entered the point of struggling to make the postseason.
Milwaukee finished with a 32-50 record in 2025-26, and we were the final team to miss the Play-In Tournament. Leading to the franchise getting a lottery pick in this year’s draft.
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam addressed the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation on Wednesday.
“Giannis brought Milwaukee its first championship in 50 years… we will do what is best for Giannis and what is best for the organization. We will work through that with Giannis in the coming weeks,” TMJ4 News’ Karley Marotta reported.
“Before the draft is a natural time. Because if Giannis does play somewhere else, then we’ve gotta get a lot of assets… If he’s here, then you build the team differently,” Haslam added. “I just want to stress, though, that our relationship with him, despite what is reported by certain ESPN writers, is very positive.”
There have been multiple teams rumored to be interested in trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. From the Miami Heat to the Portland Trail Blazers. The conversation will remain one of the top headlines of the summer.
The Milwaukee Bucks hired Taylor Jenkins to be the next head coach of the franchise.
“We didn’t hold back with Taylor (Jenkins). We just said listen, he (Giannis Antetokounmpo) may or may not be with us, so don’t come because of that. Because you want to be straight up with people,” Jimmy Haslam added when speaking on Antetokounmpo.
Jimmy Haslam says they are going to make a decision on Giannis’ future before the NBA Draft and stresses that communication has been good between them despite what some “ESPN” writers say.
Jenkins was most recently the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2019 to 2025, before being fired by the franchise a few weeks before the start of the 2025 playoffs.
He led the Grizzlies to a 250-214 regular-season record and multiple playoff bids. However, Memphis’s inability to get over the first-round hump in the postseason led the organization to let him go.
Jenkins’ specific information was not made public. Luke Adams of HoopsRumors believes that the deal is considered “long-term” with an annual salary “well north” of $10 million, putting Jenkins in the top third of the league.
Toran Flores is a sports reporter located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He's covered news in the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. His work has been featured on platforms like FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Lakers All Day Everyday, and others. In his free time, Toran enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. More about Toran Flores
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。