Bucks biggest problem lies solely with the front office

The Milwaukee Bucks are not constructed to compete at the highest level in the NBA, with the front office being held responsible for this decline. Despite having Giannis Antetokounmpo, a transcendent talent, the team has progressively worsened since their 2021 NBA Finals victory and is now closer to a full teardown than contending for another championship.

The front office's struggles are not due to obvious, massive errors such as poor lottery picks, bad free agent contracts, or illogical trades, as moves like acquiring Kyle Kuzma made theoretical sense. However, the issue lies in their inability to find hidden talent in unconventional places, a key trait of successful teams.

In contrast, teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder excel by taking risks on players who were not obvious rotation choices, such as Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Jaylin Williams, and focusing on development, which the Bucks have failed to replicate.

The Bucks' last highly impactful move was the 2020 trade for Jrue Holiday, but in the past five years, no similar deals have been made under Jon Horst and the decision-makers, while other teams continue to find and execute such transformative trades.

Jon Horst received a contract extension for avoiding disastrous moves, but the team occupies a gray area between not making bad decisions and making great ones, leading to an unproductive middle ground that hinders their competitiveness.