Charlotte Hornets president of basketball operations and general manager Mitch Kupchak is stepping down from his position, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He will transition to an advisory role, forcing ownership to find a new man to lead the front office as this franchise continues to work its way through an arduous rebuild.
Kupchak had been running the show since 2018. The Hornets failed to advance to the playoffs during his tenure, with the peak coming in 2021-22 when the team won 43 games but lost in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Injuries and Miles Bridges' suspension for domestic violence understandably impacted the on-court product, but drastic change might be needed to guide Charlotte out of this perpetually irrelevant state.
The former power forward and longtime executive came to the Hornets with championship credibility after winning a total of seven NBA titles while working in the Los Angeles Lakers' front office (four as GM). Despite accruing some impressive talent in the draft, Mitch Kuphack was unable to fortify the roster via the free agent and trade markets or make the necessary decisions to accelerate the squad's development.
He will not merely fade into the background, however, as the organization clearly wishes to retain him in an advisory capacity. Kupchak will also not be ceding control immediately.
“There’s an expectation owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin will hire a new top basketball executive prior to the end of the regular season, which will allow Kupchak to remain in his day-to-day role until his successor is on board, sources said.,” Wojnarowski reported.
The Hornets do not have much time to process this major change, with their focus shifting to the visiting Indiana Pacers for a Monday night matchup in the Spectrum Center.
Follow Us
Subscribe