The Charlotte Hornets bombed out of the NBA play-in tournament after a blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers, but James Borrego's status as head coach is secure.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Hornets are exercising the option on Borrego's contract for the 2021-22 season. He will stay on the bench as Charlotte builds for the future.

The Hornets hardly came to play in their play-in loss to the Pacers. They gave up 40 points in the first quarter and were down 24 points heading into the break. The game was practically over before it began despite Indiana dealing with a myriad of injuries.

Still, the sour ending does not define the progress the Hornets made in Borrego's third season as head coach.

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Charlotte won 10 more games this past season despite missing rookie sensation LaMelo Ball and star swingman Gordon Hayward for big chunks of the season. It's also worth noting certain players took big steps forward.

Malik Monk's future with the organization was in serious doubt heading into the season, but he averaged 11.7 points and shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc. Miles Bridges averaged 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep. P.J. Washington made gains especially on the defensive end of the floor, epitomizing the year-over-year growth the Hornets made on that end this season.

All told, the Hornets are trying to build something sustainable with their swath of young talent. General manager Mitch Kupchak seems to feel Borrego is the right man to lead Charlotte into the future, at least for the time being.