The Charlotte Hornets had a busy 2018 offseason, bringing in a new general manager and a new coach. With changes on and off the court, how good were their moves?
The 2018 NBA offseason for the Charlotte Hornets started with a bang, bringing in new general manager Mitch Kupchak. A “proven winner,” according to owner Michael Jordan‘s statement, Kupchak comes to Charlotte with 10 championships under his belt, one while playing for the Washington Bullets and two playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also at the helm for seven different championships as an executive for the Lakers.
Kupchak made the decision to replace coach Steve Clifford with a less experienced head coach in James Borrego very early in his tenure. While Borrego may have little time in the head coaching chair, he comes from a San Antonio Spurs organization that has one of the best winning cultures in NBA history.
Time will tell if Kupchak and Borrego can translate their winning ways to Charlotte, but the odds are not in their favor at the start. Kupchak inherited a team that was cash-strapped and likely to pay the luxury tax unless bold moves were made.
Borrego gets a team that has a star point guard in Kemba Walker and … not much else outside of an under-performing Nicolas Batum and oft-injured Cody Zeller. The team finished 10th in the East last season and posted average Offensive and Defensive Ratings, leading to 36 wins for the second straight season.
So, what did Kupchak and company do to help out Borrego in their first offseason with the Hornets? Here’s grades for every major offseason move they made (and didn’t make).