Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson set to be interviewed for Hornets' top front office role

Peterson joins other candidates in the initial shortlist made by Charlotte.

© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Jeff Peterson is now slated to fulfill his candidacy in the Charlotte Hornets' top executive search.

According to James Plowright of All Hornets, Peterson is already included in the Hornets’ initial interview shortlist that would continue to determine their next President of Basketball Operations.

“All Hornets can exclusively confirm that New Orleans GM Trajan Langdom, Brooklyn Nets Assistant GM Jeff Peterson, and LA Clippers GM Trent Redden will be on Charlotte's initial interview shortlist. Sources confirmed there are multiple other candidates expected to be added to the first wave of interview shortlist, in addition to the names above.”

A front office prodigy

As news broke out that Mitch Kupchak would leave his president and general manager position to move to the team's advisory role, Peterson was immediately identified as one of the considerable candidates to fill the responsibility for Charlotte.

At 34 years of age, he is well regarded around the league as one of the promising executives due to his excellent communication skills and great scouting emphasis.

“He is not afraid to get a little dirty,” Marks said of Peterson, whom he brought in the Brooklyn franchise before the 2019-20 campaign. “Just because you’re the assistant GM doesn’t mean you can’t do some of the other tasks, and I think for what we do here, we’re responsible for everything. Titles don’t mean anything. So it doesn’t matter who has a great idea, whether it’s a draft pick, a free agent, or whatever or trade, and Jeff is somebody who’s a great listener.

“I think that certainly helps, you know if you have a leader that listens to people, and I think that he does that really well. I think that that’s why his peers look up to him.”

A challenging yet great task to potentially seize for Jeff

While truly coveting, the task that awaits the Hornets' next lead basketball decision-maker would be daunting. The franchise critically desires a clearer path moving forward to provide the needed competitive growth for their young group led by LaMelo Ball.

But with the skills and expertise that Jeff possesses, there is no doubt that he can be the best man for the job. Team governor Rick Schnall is also well aware of Jefferson's talent as he saw the wonders of the young executive during their days in the Atlanta Hawks.

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