Fansided

Report: Hornets to pursue Mitch Kupchak for front office role

By Brad Berreman

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Mitch Kupchak, general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks at a press conference before the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 29, 2015 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Mitch Kupchak, general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks at a press conference before the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 29, 2015 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Charlotte Hornets are set to change general managers, and Mitch Kupchak is reportedly on the radar for a high-level role.

A second straight season out of the playoffs is in the offing for the Charlotte Hornets — the 10th place team in the Eastern Conference going into the All-Star break and 5.5 games out of the final playoff spot.

General manager Rich Cho has to be looking over his shoulder, and according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Mitch Kupchak is on the Hornets’ radar to take a high-ranking role in the organization.

Owner Michael Jordan has chosen not to offer Cho a new contract, so he’s as lame a duck as he could possibly be as the season winds down. Jordan reportedly considers assistant general manager Buzz Peterson a foundational piece of Charlotte’s front office, so he would team with Kupchak or any other replacement (in title or otherwise) for Cho.

Kupchak is best known for his lengthy stint as the Los Angeles Lakers’ general manager from 2000 to 2017. He had some great success in that role, but things went off the rails pretty quickly and Kupchak was finally not considered the guy to engineer a long overdue rebuild.

Kupchak also has some history with Jordan, as they were roommates at North Carolina. Jordan has generally struggled to extend outside his sphere, of course including guys he played with, when bringing in people to work under him as Charlotte’s owner. Hiring Kupchak would be a continuation of that mold, for better or worse, but he does come with success on his resume.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: All-Star shots, passes, dunks and games

Wojnarowski added the Hornets have not yet made contact with Kupchak about a possible position with the team. But it seems inevitable, and it may be happening very quickly with Cho releasing a statement confirming he won’t be back.

Home/Charlotte Hornets