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Charlotte Hornets sign president and GM Mitch Kupchak to contract extension

Charlotte Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan announced today that the team has signed President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak to a multiyear contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Mitch has done a great job leading our organization,” said Jordan. “He and his staff have assembled a talented, young team, and I’m excited about our future. I look forward to continuing to work with Mitch in the years ahead as our team continues to improve.”

Kupchak, who was hired by Charlotte on April 8, 2018, has been responsible for leading the organization’s day-to-day basketball operations for the last four seasons. During his tenure, Kupchak has overhauled the Hornets roster through significant personnel moves including drafting 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball, acquiring the rights to Miles Bridges in a draft-night trade and completing a sign-and-trade for Terry Rozier. Additionally, the Hornets have maximized the second round of the NBA Draft with selections such as Cody Martin and Jalen McDaniels. The Hornets currently have two first-round picks in next month’s NBA Draft (Nos. 13 and 15), as well as the 45th pick. Charlotte has improved its win total in each of the last three seasons.

Prior to joining the Hornets, Kupchak spent more than 30 years as a front office executive with the Los Angeles Lakers. After his NBA playing career with Washington and Los Angeles, Kupchak began working in the Lakers’ front office in 1986 under NBA Hall-of-Famers Jerry West and Bill Sharman. Kupchak was named general manager of the Lakers in 2000, serving in that role for 17 seasons in which Los Angeles won four NBA Championships and six Western Conference Championships, posting a 747-607 (.552) regular-season record and a 111-66 (.627) postseason record.

As a player and executive, Kupchak has been a part of 10 NBA Championship teams – three as a player (one in Washington and two in Los Angeles) and seven as a Lakers executive.

The 13th overall pick in the first round of the 1976 NBA Draft, Kupchak played nine NBA seasons in Washington and Los Angeles before a knee injury forced him to retire. He averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in 510 regular-season contests. Kupchak earned NBA All-Rookie Team honors during the 1976-77 season and averaged a career-high 15.9 points (.512 field goal percentage) and 6.9 rebounds per game during Washington’s championship season in 1977-78. He was traded to Los Angeles in 1981, where he played a key role off the bench in the Lakers’ 1985 NBA Championship. Kupchak played collegiately at the University of North Carolina where he was an All-American standout. He is one of 53 players to have their jersey honored and raised to the rafters of the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

Charlotte Hornets fire head coach James Borrego

Mitch Kupchak, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Charlotte Hornets, announced yesterday that Head Coach James Borrego has been relieved of his coaching duties.

“I want to thank JB for his hard work and commitment during these past four seasons,” said Kupchak. “Beyond his work as a coach, he is a tremendous person. I wish him and his family the best in the future. These decisions are always difficult. Having said that, we have a talented, young core of players which has me very excited about the future of the Hornets. We will begin the search for our new head coach immediately.”

Via the Charlotte Observer:

Borrego, who compiled a 138-163 mark in his tenure, is out as the Hornets’ coach just over a week after their season came to a halt with a 132-103 loss to Atlanta in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. General manager Mitch Kupchak informed Borrego on Friday the team was moving in a different direction and relieving him of his duties.

In pulling the rug out from under Borrego, the Hornets made a decision that caught more than a few people off guard. While ultimately owner Michael Jordan had to sign off on the move, a source told The Observer he wasn’t the man who delivered the edict to sever ties with Borrego, who had two years remaining on his contract after signing an extension in August.

Kupchak has been the architect of the Hornets’ blueprint and that wasn’t suddenly altered this week. He made the choice to let Borrego go, figuring it was a necessity to propel the Hornets’ young core led by LaMelo Ball forward. There were a variety of factors that pushed Kupchak in that direction, things that were hard to ignore when he began the full evaluation process.

On May 10, 2018, Borrego was named the Hornets’ 11th head coach in team history. Borrego had a stellar four-year career with Charlotte.

Hornets forward Miles Bridges fined by NBA

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been fined $50,000 for, per the NBA, “throwing his mouthpiece into the spectator stands, which resulted in the mouthpiece striking a fan,” it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.

The incident occurred after Bridges received two technical fouls and was ejected in Charlotte’s 132-103 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 13 at State Farm Arena.

Hawks look good in first play-in tournament game

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the Atlanta Hawks, who stepped up nicely against the Hornets in their first 2022 play-in tournament game:

They hardly looked like a No. 9 seed just trying to get into the playoffs. I’m sure I’m not the only one tired of hearing about last year, but there’s no way around it after that performance.

The Hawks opened their 2022 postseason looking like the intense and determined team that made it to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals. They’ll have to win again at Cleveland on Friday to earn the East’s No. 8 seed and a first-round series against top-seeded Miami. It’s a road game against a gritty opponent instead of a home game against a squad that prefers to run and shoot.

“It’s going to be tight; it’s going to be loud,” Hawks center Clint Capela said.

I still have some questions about how the Hawks would respond in a hotly contested elimination game on the road. I have fewer of them after the 132-103 victory over the Hornets…

The Hornets tried to make Hawks star Trae Young a nonfactor by forcing him to give up the ball. Young thwarted their plans with a masterful floor game, and his teammates converted most of their scoring chances. The Hornets wanted to run at every opportunity. The Hawks didn’t give them many chances because they took care of the ball and ran back to recover before the Hornets could attack.

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward returning to action

The Charlotte Hornets are about to get deeper. Via the Charlotte Observer:

As the Charlotte Hornets hit the final week of the regular season and prepare for the play-in tournament, they are set to welcome Gordon Hayward back. Hayward is officially listed as probable for Saturday’s matinee against Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center and will be available after missing the last 22 games with a sprained left ankle.

Hayward practiced with the team over the past two weeks, ramping up his activity over the last few days. He was on the floor again Friday during their session at Temple University and he’s ready to go just in time to help the Hornets (40-37) during the stretch run. They are in a three-way tie with Brooklyn and Atlanta for ninth place.

Three of the Hornets’ final five games are on the road and there’s at least one day in between each except for one, which should assist in easing Hayward in and gradually increasing his minutes. The veteran swingman hasn’t played since getting injured Feb. 7 against Toronto when his leg got rolled up on by Gary Trent Jr. while chasing a rebound.

Hornets sign guard Isaiah Thomas for remainder of 2021-22 NBA season

The Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Isaiah Thomas for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

In seven games with the Hornets, Thomas has averaged 9.9 points and 2.0 assists per game after signing two 10-day contracts with the team. He joined Charlotte on Mar. 2 and played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks earlier this season. Thomas is posting 9.3 points and 2.0 assists in 17.4 minutes per game over 12 games during the 2021-22 season.

A two-time All-Star in 2016 and 2017, Thomas holds career averages of 17.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 28.6 minutes per game over 540 career games, including 362 starts. He was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 60th pick out of Washington in the 2011 NBA Draft and has played for Sacramento (2011-14), Phoenix (2014-15), Boston (2014-17), Cleveland (2017-18), the Los Angeles Lakers (2017-18, 2021-22), Denver (2018-19), Washington (2019-20), New Orleans (2020-21), Dallas (2021-22) and Charlotte.

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward hopes to return to action this season

Here’s the latest on injured Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, via the Charlotte Observer:

Injured and powerless to provide some veteran assistance, Gordon Hayward couldn’t do anything to halt the Charlotte Hornets’ season-ending slide a year ago.

Hayward never made it onto the floor, sidelined due to a foot injury suffered in early April. The Hornets were in a good position in the standings until Hayward went down, collapsing and tumbling to the final spot in the play-in tournament.

It has eerie similarities to how things have transpired this season since Hayward’s ankle got rolled up on by Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. on Feb. 7 . But there’s going to be a noticeable difference. A big one at that.

Hayward intends on being part of the Hornets’ run “hopefully sooner than later.”

With only one month left in the NBA regular season, the Hornets are 10th in the Eastern conference, which would place them in the league’s play-in tournament that could lead them to making the playoffs. So there is reason to hope that the team does have a healthy and effective Hayward back in action.

Hornets sign guard Isaiah Thomas to second 10-day contract

The Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Isaiah Thomas to a second 10-day contract.

Thomas signed his first 10-day contract with the Hornets on Mar. 2, averaging 9.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in three games for Charlotte. Earlier this season, Thomas signed a 10-day contract with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. He is averaging 9.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 19.4 minutes per game over seven games this season with Los Angeles, Dallas and Charlotte.

Charlotte Hornets sign guard Isaiah Thomas to 10-day contract

The Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract.

Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks earlier this season, appearing in five games and averaging 8.6 points and 2.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per game in his 11th season in the NBA. He also appeared in four games for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League, accruing averages of 41.8 points and 6.5 assists per contest. Thomas scored 46 points at Greensboro on Feb. 26, the most points in a game in the G League at that time, as well as 45 points against the Windy City Bulls on Feb. 23.

Wizards trade Montrezl Harrell to Hornets

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has acquired center Montrezl Harrell from the Washington Wizards in exchange for center Vernon Carey Jr., guard Ish Smith and the Boston Celtics’ 2023 second-round pick, which is top-45 protected.

“Ish returns to us as a respected veteran leader who can guide our young players as we continue to compete over the stretch run of the season,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “Vernon is a talented young player who can build on his brief but promising NBA experience while continuing to develop within our system.”

In his seventh NBA season, Harrell is averaging 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 46 games, including three starts, for the Washington Wizards. The Tarboro, NC, native ranks fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage (64.5%) this season and is averaging 9.8 points in the paint per game, which ranks first among NBA reserves (25th overall). In his 43 appearances off the bench this season, Harrell is averaging 13.7 points per game, which is good for the sixth-highest scoring average among NBA reserves.

The 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Harrell holds career averages of 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.6 minutes per game in 433 total games with the Rockets (2015-17), Clippers (2017-20), Lakers (2020-21) and Wizards (2021-22). He currently ranks fourth in NBA history in career field goal percentage (61.9%) and has finished in the top ten league-wide in field goal percentage in each of the last four seasons. The University of Louisville product was selected 32nd overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Carey appeared in 23 career games for the Hornets over the course of two seasons, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game after being selected 32nd overall in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Duke University.

Smith appeared in 37 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game after signing with Charlotte as a free agent on Aug. 7, 2021. For his career, the North Carolina native and Wake Forest product holds career averages of 7.6 points, 3.8 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game over 691 appearances (167 starts) with Houston, Memphis, Golden State, Orlando, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Detroit, Washington and Charlotte.