Milwaukee's GM was acting a bit differently this year.
The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up a brutal 2025-26 season at 32-50, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Doc Rivers was let go shortly after the final game. But Rivers was not the only one drawing heat inside the organization.
According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, "multiple team sources detailed how they believed Horst's behavior changed this season."
The report paints a picture of a general manager who went from being deeply involved with the team to barely being around when things started falling apart.
The Contrast
During the years when Milwaukee was competing for the best record in the league, Horst was a constant presence.
Nehm wrote that "when the Bucks were annually competing for the NBA's best record, Horst was a fixture around the team, regularly attending shootarounds on the road and popping into the locker room to chat with players."
According to the report, "his presence was noticeable, clear and consistent."
That all changed in 2025-26.
"Multiple team sources told The Athletic that they felt as though Horst's presence this season was more sporadic, with the general manager joining the team for fewer road games and keeping a greater distance from the team than he had in previous seasons," Nehm reported.
The timing made it worse.
Giannis Antetokounmpo played a career-low 36 games while still averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
Kyle Kuzma gave the team 13.1 points and 4.6 rebounds across 68 games, but without a real second star next to Giannis, this roster was never built to compete.
The loss of Damian Lillard to an Achilles tear during the 2025 playoffs and his subsequent waiver left a hole in the backcourt that the front office never properly addressed.
Why Horst Could Be Gone
Horst has been the Bucks' GM since June 2017.
He won the NBA's Executive of the Year award in 2019 after Milwaukee posted a league-best 60-22 record and was the architect of the 2021 championship roster.
Ownership gave him a multi-year extension as recently as April 2025.
But this season made the problems impossible to ignore.
The relationship between Horst and Giannis appears strained, with Antetokounmpo himself acknowledging in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that his communication with Horst is "not the same as before."
The front office also clashed with Giannis over his desire to return from injury down the stretch while the team appeared more focused on improving its draft position.
Horst is still leading the coaching search that landed Taylor Jenkins, which suggests ownership has not pulled the plug yet.
But with Giannis one year away from a player option and trade rumors building around the franchise, this offseason will likely decide whether Horst stays or gets swept out alongside Rivers.
Milwaukee has to figure out what comes next, and the man responsible for assembling this roster was apparently looking the other way when it all collapsed.