Charlotte Hornets: Why Sam Hinkie would be a perfect fit

As the Charlotte Hornets continue their search for a new general manager, they should be taking a close look at Sam Hinkie.

Since firing Rich Cho midseason, the Charlotte Hornets have been without a GM and are looking to hire a new one by the end of the season. There haven’t been any rumors linking them to Sam Hinkie but the Queen City team would be smart to go after the former Philadelphia 76ers‘ general manager. Not only is he a big name but he would be the perfect fit as well.

Charlotte has reportedly narrowed down their search to four candidates in Mitch Kupchak, Gersson Rosas, Adam Simon and Marc Eversley. From the start, Kupchak has been considered the frontrunner but Rosas has recently become a more serious candidate. There were also whispers that they contacted former Cleveland Cavaliers‘ GM David Griffin but those talks didn’t get very far.

While all of those would probably be quality GM’s, they also all have a downside. Mitch has only managed in LA and hasn’t had control of a small market team while Rosas, Simon and Eversley are all unproven. The difference with Hinkie is that he has been taken a team from rock bottom to a promising franchise.

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Hinkie has been out of the NBA since 2016 when he stepped down as GM of the Sixers. Although he hasn’t managed a team for almost two years, he is open to a return to the league. (CBSsports.com)

Sam is the mastermind behind “The Process” that took place in Philadelphia. While tanking wasn’t a convention route to contention for many teams, it worked for the 76ers as they had two No. 1 picks, four top-five picks in four years and now have potential generational talents in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Hinkie’s analytical-driven approach may not be right for every team but could be perfect for Charlotte. The Hornets have been stuck in NBA purgatory for what seems like forever. They have always been too good for a top-pick but not good enough to truly contend in the postseason. And when they have gotten top draft picks, they’ve continually missed.

While there were some notable misses during Sam tenure in Philly like Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Michael Carter-Williams, their hits exceeded their misses. The only good pick that Charlotte has made in the past 15 years was Kemba Walker.

Aside from the hits and misses, the point is that Hinkie put his franchise in the best position to succeed and they stuck to a strict direction. As for the Hornets, they’ve been without a clear direction for some time now. That’s one thing that Sam would immediately fix.

While it’s unclear if Hinkie would attempt to unload all current assets in an attempt to tank and stockpile future draft picks at his next stop, that may not be a bad route for Charlotte. Plus, I’m sure Sam has more ways than one to help lead a team to contention. And if not, another “Process” and full rebuild may be the best plan of action for the Hornets.

At the very least, Charlotte should at least give Sam Hinkie a call and gauge his interest in taking over the team.

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Although, with Hornets’ owner Michael Jordan wanting to groom and ultimately give assistant GM Buzz Peterson full control in the near future, it’s unlikely Hinkie or any big name would want to be the general manager. With that said, I still believe that Hinkie would be the perfect fit and give the Charlotte Hornets the best chance to rebuild and make the team into a contender.

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