The new owners of the Charlotte Hornets, Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, have brought with them a whirlwind of change in the Hornets’ infrastructure since purchasing a majority interest in the team from Michael Jordan for $3 billion in August. And they just put an end to one of the last recruitment decisions made during Jordan’s tenure.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Charlotte Hornets are now in search of a new President of Basketball Operations since Mitch Kupchak is stepping down to become an organizational advisor.

Jordan brought in Kupchak in April 2018, and he has been at the helm for the past five and a half years. This run included the drafting of Brandon Miller and 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Star guard LaMelo Ball. The new owners are not expected to hire a new top basketball executive until before the end of the regular season. Therefore, this might allow Kupchak to continue his duties as the president of basketball operations until they find a suitable replacement.

As per Woj, Charlotte could consider New Orleans GM Trajan Langdon, Brooklyn assistant GM Jeff Peterson, Cleveland GM Mike Gansey, Philadelphia GM Elton Brand, and others as potential candidates.

Despite two Play-In appearances, the Hornets failed to make the playoffs under his leadership. Although Kupchak demonstrated an above-average success rate with second-round picks, he also experienced several misses. These include stretching Nic Batum’s contract to sign Gordon Hayward, the disappointing 2021 draft class selections (Bouknight, Jones, and Thor), and some questionable draft night trades involving players like Kai Jones, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jalen Duren. Therefore, his stepping down might be part of the Hornets’ rebuild, which they have fully embraced, as evident by their trade deadline activity.

The Hornets undergo a roster overhaul

Following the acquisitions of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, it appeared that the Charlotte Hornets’ rebuilding phase was coming to a close, with both players averaging over 20 points per game. However, the 2022–23 season proved otherwise. Ball played in only 36 games, while Bridges sat out the entire season. Consequently, the Hornets finished with a disappointing 27-55 record and missed out on the Play-In altogether. The 2023–24 season did not bring much optimism either, as Ball, Cody Martin, and center Mark Williams all endured significant periods of absence because of injuries.

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As a result of a disappointing 11-41 start, placing them in 13th position in the Eastern Conference, the new ownership opted to initiate a rebuilding phase. They made significant trades, sending PJ Washington to the Dallas Mavericks, veteran Gordon Hayward to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat. They acquired Seth Curry, Grant Williams, Tre Mann, Dāvis Bertāns, and Vasilije Micić in return. Although they had to sacrifice some talent, they now have a strong chance to nail another top-five pick around whom they can build with Ball and Brandon Miller.

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