CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 鈥� Jeff Peterson made it clear he wants to turn the struggling Charlotte Hornets into one of the NBA鈥檚 premier franchises.
That鈥檚 a lofty goal for the organization鈥檚 , who inherits a squad that is 15-47 this season and hasn鈥檛 been to the postseason since 2016-17 鈥� the longest drought in the league.
But the 35-year-old Peterson isn鈥檛 flinching, and said he doesn鈥檛 feel any pressure.
鈥淚 think it's an incredible opportunity,鈥� Peterson said at an introductory news conference Wednesday at the Spectrum Center. 鈥淚'm 35 and I've also seen a lot in this league in 12 years. A lot of things happened in Atlanta and a lot of things happened in Brooklyn.鈥�
Peterson worked in the Hawks front office before spending the last 4 1/2 seasons as the Nets assistant general manager, where he helped facilitate the signing of free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, orchestrate trades for James Harden, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, and draft Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton.
The Hornets don't have nearly the level of star power the Nets once had, and their roster remains very much in flux.
Charlotte made a flurry of moves at the trade deadline, dealing established veterans Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington in exchange for draft assets and a group of players that include Tre Mann, Vasa Micic, Grant Williams, Seth Curry and Davis Bertans. They join a core group led by rookie Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams.
鈥淚'm very excited about our roster,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淚 think we have a lot of good pieces and I'm excited to take this time to evaluate and see where we can tweak some things to get better. So we want to use these last 20 games to get better.鈥�
Peterson and the Hornets are expected to be active in free agency this summer as they continue to rework the roster. Charlotte will have more than $40 million in projected salary cap space 鈥� seventh most in the league 鈥� according to Sportrac.com.
Hornets co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin believe they have found the right man to replace longtime NBA executive Mitch Kupchak, who is with the franchise.
Schnall, who worked with Peterson while serving as a minority owner with the Hawks, called the Peterson hire a 鈥渉ome run鈥� for Charlotte.
鈥淚t didn't take very long to figure out that Jeff was going to have a great career and be really successful in this line of work,鈥� Schnall said.
Added Plotkin: 鈥淗e is somebody that people want to work with and work for.鈥�
Schnall said he's hoping the Hornets have found someone who can lead the organization for the next two decades.
Peterson's ability to build relationships across the league, his high IQ and his drive make him a perfect organizational fit for the Hornets, Schnall said. Peterson will have final say on personnel matters, but will consult with Schnall and Plotkin.
Peterson said it鈥檚 unfair to put a timeframe on when he expects the Hornets to turn things around, adding that he won鈥檛 skip any steps and wants the transformation into a winning franchise to happen organically.
鈥淥ur main goal is to have sustained success,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to make the playoffs one year and then we鈥檙e out for another three or four years. We want this to be sustainable and turn this team into a consistent winner.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Steve Reed, The Associated Press
