Rod Boone: #Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak on Michael Jordan: “He wants to win, Ok? And if we can do something to get into the playoffs (in the future) and advance in the playoffs, payroll will not be an issue. Even the tax won’t be an issue for him.”
NBA Rumor: Hornets Front Office
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Rod Boone: Mitch Kupchak: “There is clearly a vision of what we are trying to. I don’t think there is any doubt.”
Pete Guelli, the executive who oversaw the brand transition of Charlotte’s NBA team from the Bobcats back to the Hornets in 2014, is leaving the team for a job with the New York Giants. His last day as the Hornets’ chief operating officer is May 10. Guelli was hired as the team’s chief marketing and sales officer in April 2009 and charged with boosting ticket sales. The season before Guelli started, the Bobcats, then owned by Bob Johnson, ranked 27th out of 30 NBA teams in attendance. The team had just under 5,000 season ticket holders at the time.
“One of the first things that jumped out at me is Kemba is so much better than I thought,” Kupchak said. “He does not get the kind of (star) exposure. He’s getting it now because of the way he started the season, but I had no idea how good this kid is.” He tabbed former Spurs assistant James Borrego as the team’s head coach and, in July, he traded former Lakers center Dwight Howard. Kupchak holds the coveted dual title of president of basketball operations and general manager. He focuses solely on basketball, whereas he said he “had more responsibility in L.A. in other business areas.”
How would you say your relationship with Michael has evolved in the past six months? Mitch Kupchak: A little less formal. But still formal. At the end of the day, I have to respect the position. At the end of the day, I have to be careful not to let friendship — or a future friendship — get in the way of what I do and my respect for what he is. He’s the owner. I just don’t think I can act buddy-buddy. Maybe one day 10 years from now, that will be the case. But the reality is that our relationship is going to continue to grow, hopefully. And we may agree on things most of the time, but there may be some times we don’t and we have a heated argument. And at that point, you’ve got to be careful that it’s not a friendship thing. You have to be able to agree to disagree.
Arash Markazi: Gary Sacks has joined the Charlotte the Hornets as a scout after previously working with the Los Angeles Clippers for more than 20 seasons. Sacks was the team’s Vice President of Player Personnel from 2012 to 2014 and Assistant General Manager until 2017.
Rick Bonnell: The @Charlotte Hornets announced some front-office positions. Nothing major, but among them, looks like Matt Carroll will be more involved with player programs. Matt is certainly a good choice to mentor young players.
Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has named Joe Sharpe Director of Health Care & Sports Performance, while adding Dr. Quinton Sawyer, Adam Linens and Dr. Powell Bernhardt to his staff and retaining Aaron Karkow and Jason Meiring. Sharpe returns to Charlotte, where he previously served as head athletic trainer from 2004-08, after spending the last 10 seasons as head athletic trainer for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said Friday he would like to see point guard Kemba Walker end his career here. Don’t construe that as Kupchak ruling out a trade of Walker, who has one season left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019. “He is on a (contract) that may make it a challenge going forward to figure out (the best course) before he becomes a free agent,” Kupchak said, in response to an Observer question about Walker’s status.
So if there was something new in Kupchak’s comments Friday it was his assessing how good Walker is and how beloved he is in Charlotte. “I think he is revered in this community. I know ownership, and myself included, look at him as the focal point of this franchise going forward,” Kupchak said. “(Walker) is a player that we hope is with us, not only for the next couple of years, but he ends his career here.”
Clifford, 56, flew to Michigan on Tuesday to meet with ownership from the DeVos family. A news conference is expected Wednesday to introduce Clifford in Orlando, sources said. Orlando president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman considered Clifford the right combination of tactical coach, teacher and disciplinarian for a young, developing roster.
Marc Stein: The Hornets have parted ways with director of pro personnel Todd Quinter, according to league sources. The well-regarded Quinter is one of the league’s most seasoned scouts … but change has been steady in Charlotte since new GM Mitch Kupchak took charge
A month into the job, Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said Friday no major roster makeover is in the works. “There is no master plan to blow up this team right now,” Kupchak said during the team’s news conference to introduce new coach James Borrego.
That was conveyed to Borrego in the interview process. As Kupchak put it Friday, “When he was hired, the understanding is he is going to coach the players (already) on this team and the players we bring into this team going forward.” Borrego said he was comfortable with that, saying he anticipates most of the improvement between now and training camp in late September will be “internal.” “My vision here,” Borrego said, “is to maximize this roster as it stands.”
Spencer Percy: Curtis Polk mentioned today in press conference that the top 2 attributes possessed by Mitch Kupchak (that team was looking for) during the GM candidates evaluation process were: 1) “talent evaluation” 2) “networking around the league”
Charlotte Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan announced today that the team has named Mitch Kupchak President of Basketball Operations & General Manager. Kupchak, who brings more than 30 years of NBA front office experience to Charlotte, including 17 seasons as an NBA General Manager, will be responsible for leading the organization’s day-to-day basketball operations.
“I’m excited to join the Hornets organization and I want to thank Michael for this opportunity,” said Kupchak. “I am well aware of the passion for basketball in Charlotte and throughout the entire state of North Carolina, and I am confident that we can build the Hornets into a successful team that our great fans can be proud of.”
“In every role and in every stop during his tenure in the NBA, Mitch Kupchak has brought the highest levels of success to his teams. He’s a proven winner,” Jordan said. “Having won championships as both a player and an executive, we have confidence that Mitch is the right person to lead our basketball operations, build a winning culture and bring sustained success to our organization, for our fans and for the city of Charlotte.”
Chris Mannix: Buzz Peterson–a longtime confidante of Hornets owner Michael Jordan–is expected to retain a significant front office role, source told @YahooSports
Rick Bonnell: A source at today’s game said Mitch Kupchak becoming official as @Charlotte Hornets general manager is happening “soon.” I gather that means an announcement tomorrow, if not tonight.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Mitch Kupchak has agreed to a deal to become President and General Manager of the Charlotte Hornets, league sources told ESPN. The Hornets will hold a news conference early this week to introduce Kupchak.
Kupchak will keep assistant GM Buzz Peterson in a front office role, and ultimately add own personnel changes to the management and scouting structure, league sources said. Jordan and Kupchak have had a longstanding relationship built around their ties to the University of North Carolina and late coach Dean Smith.
The Charlotte Hornets have made significant progress in contract talks with Mitch Kupchak to become president of basketball operations and general manager, and a formal agreement is expected to be reached soon, league sources told ESPN. Kupchak, who won two championships as the Los Angeles Lakers general manager, has been the focus of owner Michael Jordan’s search process to replace ex-GM Rich Cho, whose contract wasn’t renewed.
Kupchak will keep assistant GM Buzz Peterson in a front office role, and ultimately add his own personnel changes to the management and scouting structure, league sources said. Jordan and Kupchak have had a long relationship built around their ties to the University of North Carolina and late coach Dean Smith.
Kupchak has been offered the Hornets’ general manager’s job, and a source close to the situation said Monday it’s pretty much down to paperwork getting him on board. Kupchak is 63 and, like Hornets owner Michael Jordan, played at North Carolina. He would replace Rich Cho, who was informed in February the team would not sign him to a new contract.
Kupchak worked in the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office from the mid-1980s until he was fired as that team’s general manager in February of 2017. From the little I’ve been around him, and more importantly from the conversations I’ve had with some of his peers, he is liked and respected by agents, players and other general managers. You hear words such as “sensible,” “practical” and “collaborative.”
Marc Stein: The Charlotte @hornets have formally offered their GM post to Mitch Kupchak and are confident they can soon seal a deal with the longtime former Lakers executive, according to league sources.
Rick Bonnell: Can confirm @Marc Stein report that Mitch Kupchak has been offered the @Charlotte Hornets general manager job. Told it’s basically a done deal.
Marc STEIN: I can only account for my own reporting on the subject. And everyone I’ve spoken to with knowledge of what’s happening with the Hornets’ vacancy insists that Kupchak, after he spent more than three decades in the Lakers’ front office, remains at the top of the Charlotte owner Michael Jordan’s wish list. According to the latest information, Rosas is the most serious candidate of the others interviewed by the Hornets to date. But word is that Jordan has yet to be convinced to move away from his preference to hire his fellow North Carolina alumnus Kupchak.
Marc STEIN: The status of Charlotte Coach Steve Clifford was not addressed above in our preview of potential coaching changes this offseason, but it seems safe to assume that every aspect of Charlotte’s basketball operations will be under the microscope once the Hornets have their replacement for Rich Cho after a highly disappointing season in which they were expected to make a much more credible playoff push.
Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) announced today the promotions of Fred Whitfield to President & Vice Chairman, Pete Guelli to Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and James Jordan to Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer. “I’m extremely proud of the strides that we have made as a business under the guidance of our leadership team,” said Hornets Managing Partner Curtis Polk. “Our entire staff has worked very hard to improve every aspect of our business operations from both the team and arena standpoint. The commitment from our fans and partners since our rebrand to the Hornets has been second to none and we are very excited about our organization’s future.”
The Charlotte Hornets have started securing permission to interview candidates for the franchise’s vacant general manager’s job, league sources told ESPN. Former Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak remains a frontrunner to ultimately receive an offer to replace Rich Cho, but the Hornets are engaging in a wider search process and plan to start an initial round of conversations with candidates as soon as this week, league sources said.
Assistant GM Buzz Peterson is running the day-to-day operations for the Hornets now, and is expected to continue with the organization once a new GM is hired. Charlotte is hopeful to have a GM in place sometime by end of the regular season in mid-April, league sources said.
While former Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is prominent in chatter about the Charlotte Hornets’ front office opening, he won’t be the only candidate. Another established name with interest is Detroit Pistons general manager Jeff Bower.
Bower is No. 2 in the Pistons’ front office, working for Stan Van Gundy, who runs the basketball operation as coach and team president. According to a source familiar with the situation, Bower and Van Gundy are both under contract with the Pistons through the end of this season. That same source said Bower, 56, would definitely be interested in the Hornets’ opening. Bower worked in Charlotte previously, in the original Hornets’ front office.
With Cho out, assistant general manager Buzz Peterson will run the front office on an interim basis. Curtis Polk, who has overseen most of Jordan’s investments for nearly three decades, said Peterson probably won’t be considered as the team searches for the next general manager.
Polk said the goal is for the Hornets – 24-33 at the All-Star break – to have a new GM by the end of the season, which would be mid-April assuming the franchise does not qualify for the playoffs. Polk said he anticipates four to six candidates receiving interviews. Polk said some attractive candidates might not be available to interview until the franchises they currently work for have completed their seasons.
Asked specifically about former Los Angeles Lakers executive and North Carolina player Mitch Kupchak, who has been tied for the possible opening for weeks, Polk said, “That’s a good name. We don’t know specifically what his level of interest would be.”
After declining to offer general manager Rich Cho a new contract, Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan is planning to target former Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak for a high-ranking role in the organization, league sources told ESPN. Jordan is planning to continue grooming assistant GM Buzz Peterson as a foundation of Charlotte’s front office, and Kupchak is a primary target to partner with Peterson, league sources told ESPN.
“I want to thank Rich for all of his hard work with the Charlotte Hornets organization through the years and wish him and his family the best in the future,” said Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan. “Rich worked tirelessly on behalf of our team and instituted a number of management tools that have benefited our organization. We are deeply committed to our fans and to the city of Charlotte to provide a consistent winner on the court. The search will now begin for our next head of basketball operations who will help us achieve that goal.”
Mitch Kupchak the next Hornets GM?
The Charlotte Hornets are unlikely to bring back general manager Rich Cho on a new contract next season, league sources told ESPN. Hornets owner Michael Jordan is expected to pursue former Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to partner in the front office with assistant GM Buzz Peterson, essentially replacing Cho, league sources said.
The Hornets have had no contact with Kupchak on a possible position, league sources said. Kupchak won two NBA titles as Lakers GM before he was swept out in 2017 upon the arrival of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka. Jordan has long had an affinity for surrounding himself with fellow Tar Heels, and his plan includes Peterson remaining one of the key — if not the key — decision-maker in basketball matters. Charlotte could be pursuing Kupchak to further groom Peterson to take over full control of basketball operations, but the specifics of a role has not even been discussed with Kupchak, league sources said.
Chris Mannix: Hornets will not extend Rich Cho, per team. As @The Vertical reported earlier this month, Mitch Kupchak is a favorite among high ranking team officials to take over.
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.
The Hornets continue to field calls on Kemba Walker, but no Walker deal gets done unless a team absorbs one of the handful of bad contracts on Charlotte’s roster, sources said. 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 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.
When Fred Whitfield is not standing in his usual spot in the tunnel of the Spectrum Center at Charlotte Hornets games, Hall of Famer Michael Jordan probably figures that his close friend and business confidant is making an impression somewhere off the court. Whitfield is Hornets Sports & Entertainment’s chief operating officer, president and minority owner and oversees all business operations. The North Carolina native represented the organization’s efforts to secure the 2017 NBA All-Star Game and re-secure the game in 2019 after the controversial House Bill 2 (HB2) was repealed last year. His efforts have quietly played a major role in keeping the Hornets in Charlotte and sports entertainment afloat in the Spectrum Center.
Whitfield has the respect of NBA commissioner Adam Silver and team executives throughout the league, and Jordan is glad to have the NBA’s lone African-American COO as part of his team professionally and personally. “I’ve known him for over 35 years, and we have been through a lot together,” said Jordan, the Hornets’ owner and chairman. “We worked together when he worked with my agent, at Nike when we launched the Jordan Brand and he worked with me in the front office of the Wizards. We know and trust each other well, and that allows us to work cohesively with the same goals. I am thankful to have him as the team president and as my friend.”
Whitfield worked behind the scenes to push to repeal HB2 with the Hornets’ business and goodwill in mind. Whitfield’s work didn’t go unnoticed, as the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce named him the 2017 Economic Growth Champion of the Year. Whitfield told The Undefeated that if HB2 hadn’t been repealed, the Hornets might have been forced to move from North Carolina for financial reasons and because of a potential lack of sports and entertainment events at the Spectrum Center. Silver has said that although the repeal of HB2 “did not go far enough, we believe the recent legislation eliminates the most egregious aspects of the prior law.” Silver said he is also confident that the Hornets will “set equality principles to ensure that every All-Star event will proceed with open access and anti-discrimination policies.” Silver saluted Whitfield for playing a big role in getting the NBA All-Star Game back in Charlotte.
Peter Vecsey: “Harrison’s the kind of guy who will remember that forever,” said someone who knows him extremely well. “He still holds a grudge against the teams that didn’t draft him.” Especially the Charlotte Hornets! Michael Jordan’s team opted for Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at No. 2 over Barnes, who played in state at the University of North Carolina.
The team also made the following announcements regarding basketball operations personnel: Rick Higgins has been promoted to coaching assistant/video coordinator, Cam Twiss has been promoted to General Manager of the team’s G League affiliate the Greensboro Swarm, David Kaplan has been promoted to manager of basketball analytics, Adam Filippi has transitioned to collegiate scouting and Jakub Kudlacek has been hired as an international scout.
Malik Monk: “I’m playing for the greatest player who ever played basketball,” Monk said Tuesday of Hornets owner and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. “I can call and ask him questions, and I have (new teammates) Kemba (Walker) and Dwight (Howard), too.”
Rick Bonnell: Per ESPN cap expert @Bobby Marks, the @Charlotte Hornets are now $1.79 million below the NBA’s luxury-tax line after Julyan Stone signing. (MORE)…
Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has named Buzz Peterson Assistant General Manager. “Throughout his tenure with our organization, Buzz has been an integral part of all aspects of our basketball operations department, with a focus on scouting and player evaluation,” Cho said. “He brings a wide breadth of basketball knowledge to the position, having been involved in the game at various levels for close to three decades. I’m excited to be working more closely with Buzz in his new role and look forward to his continued contributions to our basketball team.”
Marc Stein: The Indiana Pacers have received permission to interview Hornets exec Chad Buchanan for a spot in their front office, league sources say.
Hornets keeping Rich Cho
The Charlotte Hornets have picked up the option for next season on general manager Rich Cho’s contract, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN.com that the Hornets recently activated the 2017-18 in Cho’s existing deal.
November 30, 2020 | 1:26 pm EST Update
Marcus Smart available?
But the Celtics are still centered by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, now both signed to long-term extensions, with Marcus Smart (who’s not ungettable, per league sources) and Kemba Walker back in strong support roles. And making Hayward’s deal a sign and trade with Charlotte gives Boston a huge cudgel with which to take a swing at another star: a $28.5 million traded player exception that the Cs have a year to use in a trade. Given how Boston got throttled in the Eastern finals by Bam Adebayo, looking for a big man upgrade certainly made sense, and while Thompson’s not quite the two-way force he was a few years ago, he’s still quite good at both screen assists and points off of them (4.6 screen assists and 10.4 points per game produced last season, each sixth-best among centers in the league).
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and crew would be must-see TV by themselves; adding one of the all-time great players in the two-time league MVP Nash, who’s never coached anywhere at any level, only adds to the palace intrigue. (Having a first-time HC is one reason I don’t think Brooklyn’s going to get James Harden; I just can’t see GM Sean Marks being comfortable putting that much on Nash’s plate as he’s learning the coaching ropes; it’s going to be hard enough for him keeping KD and Kyrie sated.) No one thought Harris was going anywhere, so re-inking him at just under $19 million per is about as well as you could expect the Nets to do. I like Shamet, but he couldn’t secure consistent time in Philly or with the Clippers, and it’s hard to see him getting a ton of burn with Caris LeVert already behind Irving and Harris, but we’ll see.
Will Guillory: Source: The Pelicans are signing Jarrod Uthoff to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. Uthoff finished the 2019-20 season with the Wizards.
Mark Berman: Guard/forward Gerald Green has bounced back from his broken left foot last Oct & signed a 1-year non-guaranteed deal with the #Rockets:”I’m ready.I’m ready. I’m pretty much ready to go.I know I’m still not where I want to be yet,but if I had to play tomorrow I think I’d be ready”
Stefan Bondy: Reached out to Sergio Llull’s camp to see if a trade to Knicks might lure him out of Europe. The answer was Llull isn’t planning on making a statement on this subject. ….So I guess he didn’t say no.
B/R: The Curry Brand logo—how did that come about? Curry: It stems from the S and C in my name and the uniqueness of my signature and the flowing curves. It’s kinda fluid in that respect. It has the higher arc which stands for standing for a higher purpose outside of what you do and what your skill set is. Just blending all those attributes together. It’s a fresh take. Hopefully, it’ll be the symbol and marker for the purpose-driven mission we have for the community.
B/R: Is Under Armour to Curry Brand as Nike is to Jordan Brand? Curry: There are similarities. When it comes to the purpose behind what we’re doing and how we show up, it’ll be entirely different. All the comparisons and all that type of stuff, have at it. B/R: What does success look like for Curry Brand? Curry: Eventually, I’m gonna be out the way. Success will be measured by how many champions, how many ambassadors, people of like mind want to join the fray. And doing good in the world. To wave this flag with me through this whole journey. It’s definitely the plan [to sign other athletes to Curry Brand], not just in basketball but other sports too. There’s some work being done on that front.
