CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ It was time, with 25 games left in the season, for the Charlotte Hornets to move on from general manager Rich Cho, and for Cho to move on from the Hornets.
That was the conclusion from discussions over the weekend Cho and his agent had with Hornets owner Michael Jordan and team vice chairman Curtis Polk.
In at exclusive interview with the Observer on Tuesday, Polk said Cho wanted to know if he could expect an extension to his contract, which expires after this season.
Jordan and Polk decided that wouldn't happen, so the team made a clean break from Cho, who has worked for the Hornets since 2011 and has been the singular head of basketball operations since June of 2014.
With Cho out, assistant general manager Buzz Peterson will run the front office on an interim basis. Polk, who has overseen most of Jordan's investments for nearly three decades, said Peterson probably won't be considered as the team searches for the next general manager.
Polk said the goal is for the Hornets _ 24-33 at the All-Star break _ to have a new GM by the end of the season, which would be mid-April assuming the franchise does not qualify for the playoffs.
Polk said he anticipates four to six candidates receiving interviews. Polk said some attractive candidates might not be available to interview until the franchises they currently work for have completed their seasons.
"We'd like it to be as soon as possible, but we don't want to handicap our choices," Polk said.
Asked specifically about former Los Angeles Lakers executive and North Carolina player Mitch Kupchak, who has been tied for the possible opening for weeks, Polk said, "That's a good name. We don't know specifically what his level of interest would be."
Two other names with Carolinas ties that could potentially could make sense: Former Duke star Danny Ferry, who led basketball operations with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, and Jeff Bower, general manager of the Detroit Pistons (but reporting to coach-team president Stan Van Gundy).
.jpg?w=600)
