Photo: Peter Baba

Following the trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat, Bucks general manager Jon Horst expressed confidence in the organization’s long-term outlook despite acknowledging the difficulty of moving on from the franchise icon.

Milwaukee received four players, three first-round draft picks, a first-round pick swap, and a second-round selection in exchange for Antetokounmpo.

Horst said the combination of young talent, roster flexibility, and future draft capital made the deal worthwhile.

While the Bucks no longer control their own first-round selections from 2027 through 2030, they own all of their picks beginning in 2031, along with Miami’s 2030 pick swap and the Heat’s first-round picks in 2031 and 2033.

Horst admitted there is no replacing a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber.

“No one’s sitting here today and saying that we’re a better team today after trading Giannis,” Horst said. “He’s one of the greatest players to ever play, greatest player in the franchise history.”

After finishing 32-50 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and replacing Doc Rivers with Taylor Jenkins as head coach, Milwaukee is entering a rebuilding phase.

Even so, Horst said the organization is embracing the challenge.

“There is a sense of excitement because it’s a different challenge,” Horst said. “It’s something new.”

Jon Horst: Trading Giannis Antetokounmpo Was 'Best For Us, Best For Him' https://t.co/17Oa8lSQbm