“It’s very difficult to get free agents” – Phil Jackson explains why Michael Jordan struggled to build a contender in Charlotte originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Michael Jordan learned the hard way that the winning instincts that made him the most feared closer in NBA history don’t automatically translate to success behind a desk.
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For over a decade, he was at the helm of the Charlotte Hornets, first as a part-owner and head of basketball operations from 2006, then taking controlling ownership in 2010.
But even with the greatest basketball mind in the room, Charlotte never found its stride. Despite the hopes attached to Jordan’s presence and prestige, the Hornets stumbled through years of mediocrity. A handful of playoff appearances in 14 seasons under his majority ownership painted the picture clearly, one could dominate the game on the court and still fumble the playbook in the front office.
Jordan’s hard task
According to Phil Jackson, a man who coached MJ to six championships with the Chicago Bulls and witnessed both his rise and the intricacies of building teams post-retirement, the Hornets’ uphill climb was too steepened by structure and decision-making. One of their biggest problems was luring high-impact free agents.
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“It’s very difficult to get free agents [to Charlotte],” Jackson said earlier in Jordan’s reign as owner. “You try to get a free agent and you just can’t pull a guy in unless you overpay them. And so, it’s a damned if you do type of thing — you have to work for the draft.”
Charlotte, as a market, has rarely held appeal for the league’s top-tier talents. Unlike franchises like the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat or New York Knicks, the Hornets lack the glitz and magnetism that turn players into global brands. That disconnect was ironic and frustrating for an organization led by arguably the most iconic global brand the NBA has ever produced.
Without the leverage of free agency and with a draft-dependent strategy, Jordan’s Hornets were often forced to overpay mid-tier players. Contracts like Nicolas Batum’s five-year, $120 million deal in 2016 is a prime example. These kinds of contracts clogged cap space without moving the win column, keeping Charlotte in a cycle of rebuilds.
Drafting problems
As Jackson alluded, the franchise’s reality was boxed in; no superstar wanted to come unless the check was disproportionate, and even then, the surrounding talent rarely made the move worth it. From a front-office perspective, that meant consistently swinging for value in the draft or trading smartly.
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But the Hornets rarely drafted transformative stars. Between 2010 and 2020, their lottery picks included names like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky — all solid prospects, but not franchise-altering pieces.
“So, you’ve got kids that take three or four years to mature into professional players,” Jackson said. “So, it’s a very difficult thing to build a team from that level.”
Even when they did hit, such as with Kemba Walker in 2011, the lack of supporting talent and long-term vision saw those successes eventually fade.
In many ways, that encompasses the Hornets’ prolonged irrelevance. The front office didn’t just have to draft well, they had to be patient, developmental and extremely precise. Yet under Jordan, the franchise’s draft room often felt like a roulette table, betting on potential that never quite matured into production.
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The Hornets’ 2015 decision to draft Kaminsky over Devin Booker is still felt. So does the 2013 selection of Zeller at No. 4 in a class where Giannis Antetokounmpo went 15th. In 2020, LaMelo Ball looked like a corner-turning pick. Still, the momentum hasn’t yet translated into sustainable team success, especially with injuries clouding his early years.
Charlotte also had its fair share of missed opportunities in the trade market. There were hesitations when bold moves were needed and aggressive plays when caution would have served better. The result was a roster that rarely felt balanced, often over-reliant on one or two scorers and lacking defensive identity.
Jordan ultimately sold his majority stake in 2023, marking the end of an era that promised more than it delivered. There was hope that his legendary fire could reshape a small-market team into something bold. However, vision without execution rarely lasts in the NBA.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.