Hornets reportedly hire Jeff Peterson away from Nets to be new head of basketball ops
The Charlotte Hornets are hiring one of the NBA’s rising young executives to a key position, as part of their continuing effort to revitalize the struggling franchise.
Jeff Peterson, assistant manager of the Brooklyn Nets, is expected to be hired by the Hornets to be their new head of basketball operations, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN Sources: The Charlotte Hornets are planning to hire Brooklyn Nets executive Jeff Peterson as the franchise’s next head of basketball operations. Sides expect to reach a formal contractual agreement soon. pic.twitter.com/uGwstjDiH3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 29, 2024
Peterson is a basketball lifer, even at just 35 years old. He played for Iowa, Arkansas, and Florida State in college, and landed his first NBA job with the Atlanta Hawks in 2013. He stayed with the Hawks until 2019, making his way up the ladder from scout to director of scouting then to assistant general manager by 2016. He joined the Nets as assistant general manager in 2019, playing a part in attracting Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
Peterson and the Hornets had been connected since July 2023, when Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported that Peterson, a rising star among NBA executives, had been seen as a good fit in Charlotte.
Brooklyn assistant general manager Jeff Peterson has emerged as one of the most respected young executives in the NBA. Peterson is hailed for his authenticity, particularly in his ability to communicate up and down the organizational chart. In 2020, Peterson interviewed for the Pistons’ general manager opening. And with a new ownership structure in Charlotte, should the Hornets ultimately move on from Mitch Kupchak after the final year of his contract, Peterson has become widely linked by league personnel as a possible next lead executive in Charlotte.
The hiring of Peterson is just the latest thing new team owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin have done to revitalize the Hornets, a team that’s struggled with both a lack of talent and a lack of interest. They purchased a majority share in the team from Michael Jordan in Aug. 2023 for a cool $3 billion.
