NBA

Charlotte’s GM Mitch Kupchak assures team is not done trading after moving out Terry Rozier

Antonio Kozlow Sports Editor

Updated24 Jan 2024

After weeks of speculation, the Hornets finally drew their first big trade of the season after sending Terry Rozier to Miami, and in exchange receiving All-Star veteran Kyle Lowry. However, according to their general manager Mitch Kupchak there’s a good chance they will remain active before February’s deadline.

While Charlotte is currently 10-31 and standing in the Eastern Conference’s 13th place, the team is well aware they need changes, especially if they wish to qualify to the playoffs. The thing is, the North Carolina franchise hasn’t reached the postseason in eight-straight seasons, holding the longest current drought in the league.

These are the reasons why Kupchak knows that the team needs to turn an eye toward the future and bring in worthy talent to Charlotte soon. “I can’t discount the fact that we’re a team that is trying to build something that can sustain something going forward, and … we will look for opportunities,” he said about upcoming trades. “And if there is something out there we will look to do it. It’s as simple as that.”

Mitch Kupchak on the impact that the new ownership had on the Terry Rozier trade:

"Of course, the new owners, Rick and Gabe, were involved… this is their first deal, so a lot of energy and a lot of discussion went into it." pic.twitter.com/R8Wj0cIgI4

— HornetsMuse (@hornetsmuse_) January 24, 2024

During this recent interview, the general manager felt the need to interrupt the journalist when he was insinuating that the team was looking for a “rebuild,” a word which he tries to avoid because it makes outsiders think that there are going through a crisis.

“A rebuild is when you start with a bunch of veterans and a team that is not going anywhere and you decide to scrap it all and start from scratch. But clearly we are further down the road from that,” he explained. “So I don’t know what the word would be, but I would not use the word rebuild.”

However, it is safe to say that the Hornets squad is looking for a brighter future, and it might transform into a different squad if they play their cards right before come mid-February.

Rozier’s move will add salary cap room this summer, especially considering that the player had two years left on his current deal, while 37-year-old Lowry is on an expiring contract.

The Hornets hope these recent trades will free up space to be flexible financially before deadline and next summer

Kupchak insisted that the idea behind these trades will be looking into the future, as the organization hopes to add more salary cap room and bring in more strategic players to Charlotte. Even if the club doesn’t keep Lowry before the deadline, Rozier’s move was just the beginning.

“That money will be freed up and it is always good to be flexible financially,” the general manager explained. “It will help us in the next couple of weeks to plan for this summer and beyond. … And the pick itself has incredible potential for upside. But an asset that valuable can also become something you can put into a trade and make a deal. So yes, the financial part of it was a part of it, but getting the pick was the most important part.”

Many believe that the 37-year-old may never play a minute for the Hornets, so the team will try their best to find him a new destination or even, offer him a buyout at some point.

“It may be that we wait to see what happens out of respect to him and what he’s accomplished in this league,” Kupchak said. “Maybe we wait to see and have the trade deadline pass rather than have him relocate and start something that may or may not take place. So I think (not playing him) is probably what we will do, but I don’t know for sure. But that seems to make the most sense.”