Giannis Antetokounmpo’s relationship with the Milwaukee Bucks front office has been strained for months, and a new admission from GM Jon Horst is only adding fuel to the fire. The two-time MVP appeared in just 36 games this season, a career low, as Milwaukee collapsed to a 32-50 record and snapped a nine-year playoff streak.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Giannis had zero communication with Bucks top brass since the trade deadline, a sign of just how fractured things had become between the franchise and its centerpiece. That silence extended all the way through the coaching search.
Jon Horst Confirms Giannis Did Not Meet With Taylor Jenkins Before Hiring
Bucks GM Jon Horst confirmed that Giannis Antetokounmpo did not sit down with Taylor Jenkins at any point before Milwaukee officially named Jenkins its 19th head coach. The admission raises legitimate questions about how involved the franchise star was in shaping the team’s direction heading into a pivotal offseason.
Bucks GM Jon Horst said Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t meet with Taylor Jenkins before Jenkins was hired as head coach.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 6, 2026
Horst and Bucks ownership flew to Memphis to meet with Jenkins shortly after the regular season ended, and a second meeting locked in the hire, but Antetokounmpo was not part of either conversation. While it remains unclear how much say Giannis had in the process, the Bucks factored in how he might mesh with Jenkins when making the decision, given the two share a pre-existing bond from Jenkins’ assistant coaching stint in Milwaukee during the 2018-19 season.
Antetokounmpo is eligible to become a free agent after next season if he does not sign a four-year extension in October, making this offseason one of the most consequential in franchise history. The Bucks could also look to trade him if they don’t believe he will sign, and Milwaukee explored deals at the trade deadline before ultimately holding off.
Bobby Portis said he isn’t buying the notion that Giannis had zero communication with the team about Jenkins, but Horst’s confirmation tells a different story. Whether this hire can repair the relationship, or accelerates a departure, will define where the Bucks go from here.
