Milwaukee Bucks director of basketball operations Jon Horst has emerged as an increasingly serious candidate for the team's general manager vacancy, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN that Horst is the latest to interview for the position and has joined Bucks assistant general manager Justin Zanik as a top contender for the job in the wake of Denver's promotion of Arturas Karnisovas.
As ESPN reported earlier this week, Milwaukee had narrowed its choices to replace John Hammond to Zanik and Karnisovas and appeared to be closing in on a decision.
But the Nuggets disrupted the process Wednesday by promoting Tim Connelly to president of basketball operations and elevating Karnisovas to general manager, which prompted Karnisovas to withdraw from the Bucks' search.
Hammond joined the Orlando Magic earlier this month, accepting a long-term offer to serve as Orlando's GM under new Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman.
Sources said that the Magic expressed interest in hiring Horst to continue working under Hammond before the Bucks made him a candidate to replace Hammond.
Zanik just completed his first season as the Bucks' assistant GM and has been heading Milwaukee's draft preparations while Bucks ownership consultant Rod Thorn has been spearheading the GM search.
In addition to Zanik, Karnisovas and Horst, Milwaukee has interviewed several other executives in its search to replace Hammond, most notably Atlanta's Wes Wilcox and Memphis' Ed Stefanski.
Others to receive interviews include Portland's Bill Branch, Minnesota's Noam Croom, Indiana's Peter Dinwiddie, Detroit's Pat Garrity and Miami's Adam Simon.
