SUMMARY
- Mitch Kupchak decided to quit his position with the Charlotte Hornets.
- Kupchak was the President of basketball operations for the Hornets since 2017
Although the stars in the NBA such as LeBron James are usually given the bulk of attention, Mitch Kupchak managed to generate quite a fair amount of publicity by announcing that he was going to step down from his managerial position with the Charlotte Hornets.
As some fans might be aware, Kupchak is a former NBA player who turned into an executive in the front office after his career came to an end. Although he spent several decades as the General Manager for the Los Angeles Lakers, Kupchak took a position with the Charlotte Hornets back in 2017.
Although it has been less than 7 years since he joined the Hornets, recent reports revealed that Kupchak is stepping down from his current position. That said, a closer look at the current situation is undoubtedly required.
Mitch Kupchak will no longer be the Charlotte Hornets’ president of basketball operations
With the exception of being the owner of a franchise, the president of basketball operations is one of the highest managerial roles and is a job that several applicants would aspire to have. Although Kupchak did not find much success with the Hornets when compared to his time as the GM for the Los Angeles Lakers, he did facilitate the drafting of young stars such as LaMelo Ball.
ESPN Sources: Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations Mitch Kupchak is stepping down to become an organizational advisor, clearing way for franchise to begin an immediate search for a new head of basketball operations. pic.twitter.com/Vh2p0AudFh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 12, 2024
It was recently revealed that Kupchak planned to step down from his role as the president of basketball operations and become an organizational adviser. That would allow him to continue having an impact on the Hornets but not face the pressure that came with being the president of the entire franchise.
Since the Hornets now have a vacancy in their management, the team is eager to fill the role and is reportedly interviewing several potential applicants for the job.
The Hornets are scouting general managers from other NBA teams
Although the NBA is a league in which players are the ones who usually switch teams, there are some unique cases such as this where an opening entices other GMs from across the league to make an attempt to secure a prestigious job offer. At the moment, it has been revealed that the Hornets are interested in Philadelphia’s Elton Brand, New Orleans’ Trajan Langdon, Cleveland’s Mike Gansey, and the LA Clippers’ Trent Redden.
OFFICIAL: Hornets to begin search for new head of basketball operations; Mitch Kupchak to transition to advisory role with the team.
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 12, 2024
It has also been reported that the Hornets are interviewing several assistant GMs from across the league in order to find out if any of them will be able to step up to the occasion. Since Charlotte’s hopes for the postseason are almost nonexistent at this point in time, there isn’t a rush to hire a new president of basketball operations. Fans are left wondering which individual will get the job that Mitch Kupchak decided to leave behind.