The news wasn’t really shocking at all.
When the inevitable shoe dropped early Monday morning, and word trickled out that the Charlotte Hornets were going to make a change in the front office — with Mitch Kupchak moving into an advisory role — nary an eyebrow raised around many NBA offices.
For weeks, dating back as far as the summer, multiple league sources told the Observer that Kupchak’s days as the Hornets’ chief decision-maker were numbered. The chatter grew even louder leading into the trade deadline, with sources indicating the transition away from Kupchak running the show would take place once the first round of roster reshuffling was complete.