Charlotte Hornets' President of Basketball operations Rod Higgins steps down

Rod Higgins

As the NBA Draft approaches many franchise offices have undergone changes and on Friday the Charlotte Hornets (formerly the Charlotte Bobcats) joined the fray. The Hornets have gone through an organizational change which will leave their front office looking very different from the campaign last season.

In an official statement released by Micheal Jordan, owner of the Hornets, the basketball great mentioned that Rod Higgins, the President of Basketball Operations, had stepped down from his post. General Manager Rich Cho will retain his position and at the same time take over the vacant spot in the management, and will report to Jordan and Vice Chairman Curtis Polk.

"I would like to thank Rod for his seven years of dedication to this organization.Rod has been a consummate professional throughout his time with the team. Thanks to his hard work and commitment, we have an improved roster and we are poised for success in the future. Rod was of great help to me as I navigated my first four years as majority owner of this franchise. I wish him all the best.” – Michael Jordan

The timing of this change in the front office seems odd though, especially with the draft coming up in the next couple of weeks after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. The Hornets have the 9th and 24th picks in a deep talent-loaded draft class out of which the 9th pick is one received from the Detroit Pistons. Given their cap space it is predicted that the Hornets would use the picks as shopping tools to lure more superstars to Charlotte.