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The Times Picayune is reporting that Jeff Bower has left the Hornets organization and that the search for a new GM is on. This isn't exactly as a surprise.  Last week I posted that Bower had a foot out the door.

Bower has had mixed results as the Hornets GM, presiding over a both a major improvement in team fortune - and a major decline as well.  Regardless of how you feel about his stewardship of the Hornets Roster, Bower has always treated us here at Hornets247 with class, and we wish him the best.

We'll have more about Bower's departure and the ensuing search for a new GM soon.

Update:  Here is the official Hornets media release:

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that the organization and Jeff Bower have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately. A search for a general manager is already underway.
 
“We feel it is in the best interest for us and Jeff to part ways at this time.” said Hornets President Hugh Weber. “Our search for a new general manager is already underway. We will target basketball minds that are highly respected in the basketball circles and someone that will help in our pursuit of building a championship team.”
 
Bower spent 14-plus seasons with the club, serving various scouting, coaching and general manager positions. He served as general manager from 2001-2003 and was re-appointed general manager at the start of the 2005-06 season. Bower took over the head coaching role this past season on November 12 after the Hornets relieved Byron Scott of head coach duties. He guided the Hornets to a 34-39 record (.466) last season.
 
“I want to thank Jeff for all his service for our organization,” said Hornets Owner George Shinn. “Gary Chouest and I have the necessary resources and will continue to do what it takes this summer to make our team better. Under the new leadership of Monty Williams, our team president Hugh Weber and our new general manager we feel very positive about our future as an organization.”

There really is no other way to look at it.  Bower is still under contract with the Hornets, yet the Hornets gave him permission to interview for the soon-to-be-vacant New Jersey Nets' General Manager position.  If the Hornets wanted to keep him, that would never have happened. Why would they put themselves in competition with another team for the services of someone they already have? That makes no sense, financially.

Yes, Bower has already stated he is not interested in the Net's position.  That doesn't mean, however, that this is the end of it.  To me, it seems that Bower is having an amicable divorce with the Hornets.  The Hornets will let him play the field a little, just as long as he pays attention to the family while he does so, doing the draft, poking through the free agent bargin bin, compiling offers for Chris Paul, etc.

Make no mistake, though, he'll probably be gone, and probably sooner than later.

The driver here, of course, is Chouest.  And no, I'm not claiming that Chouest has a vendetta against the Hornets' General Manager.   He probably just wants to do what every businessman does when he takes over a company:  put his own people in charge and give the organization his own stamp.  Really, he's already started doing that.  He was hugely involved in the coaching search.  He reportedly had some input on the Draft as well.  So far, he's been involved in every major decision this off-season and really is operating as a majority owner, despite the formal agreement making him officially the owner has not yet having been fully settled.

I think we'll be in for a pretty . . . eventful . . . 12 months as this all shakes out.  I'm particularly interested in seeing if the new front office is going to try to work with the core of West and Paul, or if they are going to take dynamite to the roster, using the excuse of new blood to start over.

The Hornets draft day trade may have been about more than just shedding a few dollars. After the draft GM Jeff Bower gave a brief press conference to the media in which he hinted that the Hornets might be finagling themselves into position for a major free agent score.

"When the transaction does reach conclusion," Bower said referring to the deal that sent Morris Peterson and the 11 pick to OKC for the 21st and 26th pick, "the flexibility it provides does allow us to continue to look to add to our roster".

The draft day deal cut more than six million dollars from the 2010-2011 payroll, puts the Hornets below the luxury tax line for upcoming season for the time being, and nets them an extra young player to develop.

What exactly the team will do with the newfound flexibility is still a mystery. The Hornets are prohibited by the NBA from discussing specifics before July 8th. That's also the first day of freedom for a class which includes potential running partners for Chris Paul such as LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Staudemire and Carlos Boozer.

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It is officially draft day for the New Orleans Hornets and the open thread has arrived. After an unusually stressful day of Chris Paul trade speculation fueled by a long distance interview and a statement from current owner George Shinn, Hornets fans everywhere are probably ready for some potential good news.

Television coverage for the event begins on ESPN at 6PM Central time. If the Hornets stand pat and pick 11th, the decision should be announced around 7:20 in the evening.

Ryan told you what to expect, but there's more to talk about. What is your dream scenario? Who do you really not want to see taken? Which player is a steal in the second round?

If this awesome thread wasn't enough to get you excited, Hornets247 is proud to bring you live coverage from the Alario Center on draft night, where Monty Williams, Jeff Bower, and other Hornets personnel will be gathered to make their decision. Coach and GM both are expected to address the media, answer questions and talk about the pick. I'll be right there to keep you posted with live, breaking information starting at 5:00 and continuing all the way through

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While at Jazz Fest the other day, I came to the realization that the Hornets and the festival have quite a few things in common. Some, like my friends Johnny, Jim, and Jack, might even say that the team could be compared to Jazz Fest.

Peja Stojakovic is Art Garfunkel

Both are classic entertainers, albeit in totally different ways. Each is on the tail end of their respective careers, and are obviously being paid for what they did in the past. It's still a pleasure to watch them both play, but it's mostly because you might catch a glimpse of what made them so special to begin with. A bit of nostalgia, if you will.

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