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Mitch Kupchak expected to be next Hornets GM

Not directly related to the Lakers, but still an interesting tidbit nonetheless.

Since Mitch Kupchak was fired by the Lakers back in February 2017, we haven’t heard much from the long-time Los Angeles general manager. Well now it appears after taking a year away from front office duties, he’s finally found himself a new place to call home: the Charlotte Hornets.

Here’s this from the New York Times‘ Marc Stein:

"“The Hornets, who are owned by Michael Jordan, are confident they will soon seal a new contract with Kupchak to take over their basketball operations and are progressing toward a deal, according to the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly.”"

Assuming Kupchak is hired, it’ll be his first general manager position with a team other than the Lakers. Following his playing days, he signed on with Los Angeles as an assistant general manager under then-GM Jerry West. He eventually took over for West as general manager, and helped put together some of the most successful Lakers squads in franchise history.

Kupchak’s time with the Lakers may have ended on a sour note, but there’s no denying the impact he had on the club. He played an integral role in five championship runs and kept them competitive even when things went south.

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Despite Jim Buss’ efforts to sabotage the roster prior to the duo’s exit, Kupchak deserves heaping piles of credit for the success the Lakers enjoyed under his watchful eye.