Hornets GM not focused on landing 'big fish' in free agency
The Charlotte Hornets are in a transitional phase after the offseason departure of All-NBA guard Kemba Walker, but don't expect general manager Mitch Kupchak to accelerate the process through free agency.
"Free-agent signings, for us, are not something we need to concentrate on going forward. We're not going to get the 'Big Fish,'" Kupchak told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. "We have to create a culture where those kinds of players would want to come here. And, quite frankly, we're not there yet.
"For us to hoard cap room (for that purpose) is not in the best interest of the organization."
Charlotte acquired point guard Terry Rozier on a three-year, $57-million contract via sign-and-trade to replace Walker. However, the club was unable to do much afterward with a number of high-salary contracts on the books, including Nicolas Batum's ($25-million) and Bismack Biyombo's ($17 million).
Head coach James Borrego insists those financial implications won't influence how he distributes playing time this upcoming season.
"I'm not going to coach a team based on contracts, what you're making, where you were drafted, if you were drafted," Borrego said. "To me, that's not my job. My job is to get the most out of them, whether they were drafted or not drafted."
Charlotte posted a 39-43 record last season to finish two games out of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.