The Bucks finished the 2002–03 season 42–40 to qualify for the playoffs, though they were eliminated in the first round in six games. Karl pushed for the team to draft point guard TJ Ford, making Cassell expendable and he was traded to Minnesota. GM Ernie Grunfeld, who was arguably Karl's biggest supporter in Milwaukee, left the team shortly after the draft, and new GM Larry Harris decided to move the team in a new direction and fired Karl. In the aftermath of Karl's departure, the Bucks would not win a playoff series until 2019.