When I solicited questions for this week’s Charlotte Hornets mailbag, a lot of you wondered how coach Steve Clifford’s departure might affect roster strategy.
I get that, considering Clifford had a say in every player on the current roster. But the Hornets hiring Mitch Kupchak as general manager is probably much more consequential to how the roster will look than the ensuing firing of Clifford.
I’m not saying the next coach won’t be consulted on roster moves. But an executive of Kupchak’s experience is going to trust his own instincts heavily. He’ll need owner Michael Jordan to sign off on moves, but ultimately everything going forward is on Kupchak’s ledger.