Milwaukee Bucks: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 Media Day
1. Time for Jon Horst to prove his mettle
In a relatively quiet offseason, the one stormy sea was the hiring of a new general manager to replace departed John Hammond. While the frontrunner was Justin Zanik, Jon Horst was surprisingly handed the job.
Horst was able to maintain the status quo thus far this summer, re-signing Tony Snell at a reasonable number and adding a variety of low-risk options for training camp. But as the start of the season draws nearer, opportunities for Horst to demonstrate his abilities are growing.
The most pressing decision is whether the team and Jabari Parker can agree to terms on an extension, or whether the injured forward will enter restricted free agency next summer. When asked about contract negotiations with Parker, he gave the standard positive and vanilla answer.
Horst says the Bucks have had positive conversations re: Jabari Parker's contract. They value him significantly. Injury factors in for sure.
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) September 25, 2017
Horst also needs to make the decisions on which player will fill the final roster spot. With 14 guaranteed contracts, barring a trade, the team has just one spot to fill. Brandon Rush, Gary Payton II, James Young, Gerald Green and Joel Anthony will all be competing in training camp for that one spot.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season
The team has recently waived its two-way players, the Wisconsin Herd will kick off their Media Day and training camp in a few weeks, and opportunities for Horst to demonstrate his abilities will continue to come as the season begins. In the months to come, Horst and the entire Milwaukee Bucks organization will be able to prove their worth.