CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets are in discussions to hire Brooklyn Nets executive Jeff Peterson as the team's new head of basketball operations, an NBA league source confirmed to WCNC Charlotte's Nick Carboni.
Peterson's hiring with the team was first reported by ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Peterson will be the NBA's youngest lead front office executive once he's hired, according to the report. He was among a dozen candidates who reportedly interviewed with new owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin as they looked to find Mitch Kupchak's replacement.
Kupchak is stepping down from the position to take an advisory role within the organization. He joined the Hornets in 2018 after a successful tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers that saw the franchise win four NBA Finals and six Western Conference titles.
Peterson previously worked with Hornets head coach Steve Clifford in Brooklyn, where Clifford was a coaching consultant. It's unclear whether Clifford will stay in Charlotte after this season.
Charlotte remains well outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference but things have improved since the trade deadline. The team has won five of its last eight games. The Hornets return to action Thursday night at home against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The news comes just days after Hornets Sports & Entertainment announced its intention to invest between $70 million and $100 million for a new practice facility that will be near Spectrum Center in Uptown. That announcement will allow Charlotte to take $30 million it earmarked for the facility and put it toward other Spectrum Center upgrades.
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