Some Charlotte Hornets players have been included in a lot of trade chatter ahead of Thursday's deadline, but the changes for them may not only be limited to the team's composition, but also in their front office after this season. With general manager Rich Cho in the final year of his contract, his possible replacement has already emerged as early as now.

It has been reported that former Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak could take over his position once his current deal expires, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo! Sports.

Another variable at play: The future of GM Rich Cho. Cho is in the final year of his contract and there have been rumblings that former Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is a favorite among high-ranking team officials to take over next summer. If Hornets owner Michael Jordan is resolved to replace Cho, he may not sign off on dealing Charlotte’s most appealing asset.

Kupchak started being part of the Lakers front office after he retired as a player back in 1996. He then went on to have traditional GM powers in 2000 when Jerry West resigned as the team's vice president of basketball operations. He played a huge role in pulling off some big trades when he was at the helm and helped form their championship winning squads from 2000-02 and 2009-10.

The situation of the Hornets is definitely something worth monitoring and it will be interesting to see if Kupchak will indeed take over the reigns of Cho after this season. His potential addition to the franchise could bring a lot of positive impact to them especially with his experience and knowledge with the business side of the NBA.