LAS VEGAS — Mitch Kupchak has been immersed in the NBA for the better part of three decades, witnessing more than his share of some wild times.

Even he can’t remember an offseason with this much wackiness. To say it’s been off the charts — as Hornets’ fans witnessed first-hand when Boston suddenly became an option for Kemba Walker’s services seemingly out of nowhere — and unparalleled is quite the understatement.

“I think we all agree it’s been crazy,” Kupchak said. “Especially the last 24 hours. I’ve not seen some of the stuff that’s taken place. Very rarely do you hear the expression unprotected pick and already in this offseason I can’t begin to tell you how many unprotected picks have been thrown out there in deals and that’s unique. Everybody knows about this year’s free agent class and how special the class is. All those players, all that kind of movement. It’s been just a wild, wild west of an offseason and if you are a basketball fan, it’s exciting. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

As for the Hornets, they’ve had an interesting few weeks also. This offseason was billed by some as one of the most important in franchise history, providing a good look at the direction they are headed after three fruitless seasons. Besides owner Michael Jordan, there’s only one other person who truly has a clear understanding of the Hornets’ course and that’s Kupchak.

He spoke with the media for the first time since the moratorium was lifted and addressed a variety of subjects. Here’s a breakdown of the most important:

1. Just because they can still make moves doesn’t mean they will

While a flurry of signings and trades dotted the league’s landscape over the past week, the Hornets have been mostly courtside spectators. Sounds like it’s going to stay that way, too.

Given their perilous salary cap situation, it’s to be expected. They remain saddled by those four cap-choking contracts that prevented them from going after even the second-tier free agents. Per league sources, they appear to be done with their roster tinkering.

In order to preserve their projected cap space for next summer, it’s important to be financially responsible. Otherwise, they will never free themselves from mediocrity.

“We still have our mid-level and the other exceptions that are available to us,” Kupchak said. “We have our trade exception, which is good another two days (until Monday). Once again, we are not going to add players just to add players. We have 13 players under contract. I feel we have most areas on our roster covered and we just have to be careful going forward that if we make an acquisition, that it’s going to try to fit into what we are doing going forward and it won’t hinder perhaps the development of the younger players that we have on the team right now.”

Devonte’ Graham averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 assists in 46 games in Charlotte last season and 23.3 points and 4.6 assists in 13 G League games. (Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today)

2. Don’t use the R-word just yet

By making only one major move and preparing to sit tight, the Hornets don’t seem like a team that plans to vie for a playoff spot. Unless something dramatic happens, they will be staring at a four-year postseason drought. So that means this upcoming season is going to be about rebuilding the roster, right?

Not so, according to Kupchak.

“I think it’s a little early to say rebuild,” Kupchak said. “We are still in the period where you can make trades and acquire free agents. I think perhaps that’s a better question down the road. Maybe at the end of the summer. Having said that, our plan is to field a team that is entertaining, that can be sustained going forward. We strive to make the playoffs, advance in the playoffs and ultimately contend for a championship. Those are the goals for the organization and that’s what we are trying to do.”

3. Who are you calling cheap?

In some circles and particularly among their fan base, there’s a perception the Hornets don’t want to spend enough money to field a good team.

That seems to irk Kupchak.

He defended Jordan and quickly shot down the idea they don’t want to open up the wallet for the right players, pointing to this past season’s payroll hovering at $122 million. He scoffed at any notion the Hornets don’t have the financial ability to be perennially competitive in a league where stars are joining forces to stack teams.

“I don’t think there’s any fact that we do,” Kupchak said. “This year our payroll was right up against the luxury tax threshold and I think if you went through team by team in the NBA there must’ve been eight teams that had a higher payroll than we did. We would’ve been in the top third of team salaries in the NBA. I don’t think that is even a question and I’m a little bit surprised that it comes up. We were not even close to the cap and we were very close to the tax threshold. In fact, with Michael that’s always been the budget so to speak.

“We have all that money to spend up to the tax threshold. And the other part of it is, if we ever get to the point that we can advance in the playoffs, Michael’s made it clear that we will go into the tax. Personally if you have a team that does not get into the playoffs for two or three years in a row, and if I were a GM and I come to him and I say, ‘Listen, let’s go into the tax, I don’t think we’ll make the playoffs, but let’s do it.’ I mean that’s an absurd thing to even suggest.”

4. Trading Kemba Walker was never seriously considered

We’ve nearly reached the portion of the program where it’s time to put the Kemba decision to bed for good. But before that happens, Kupchak had to explain exactly what transpired with Walker leaving for Boston given how both sides kept saying how they wanted to stay together.

The pressing query centers around the Hornets refusing to trade Walker at any point during his past two seasons in Charlotte. The prevailing thought among many is this: If the Hornets knew they weren’t going to open up the checkbook and bring back Walker, then why not ship him to another franchise to get tangible assets in return to help reconstruct the team? Like something akin to what the Oklahoma City Thunder did over the weekend in sending Paul George to the LA Clippers.

Kupchak brushed off that thought.

“I can’t speak to what took place before I got here,” said Kupchak, who’s been on the job in Charlotte for 15 months. “We did have the opportunity to pursue a trade with Kemba. The decision was made to keep Kemba. Our feeling was and our hope was that we could re-sign him. Having said that, we feel fortunate to have been able to execute a sign-and-trade. (People say) maybe had the organization traded him a year or two ago, maybe we would have had a draft choice or two to use. At least you had something to show for it. … My answer to that is we got Terry Rozier in return for him. And you know if Terry were in the draft a week or so ago, he would’ve been a lottery pick. So that’s how I look at it.

“We got fortunate. We got lucky and we picked up a player that I believe would’ve been a lottery pick. I don’t know what we would’ve gotten a year or two ago. We had a great year with Kemba. He had his best year ever. I got to experience what kind of special person he is and that’s kind of a selfish way to look at it. We had a great shot to keep him and we didn’t keep him. It didn’t work out, but in return I feel we got a lottery pick in Terry Rozier.”

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, left, and Nic Batum, are set to make $38 million combined next season. (Jeremy Brevard / USA Today)

5. High-priced vets aren’t guaranteed playing time

Having a mixture of veterans making a lot of money intertwined with their youth movement puts the Hornets in a bit of a conundrum.

Can they really have only minor roles for the likes of Nic Batum ($25 million), Bismack Biyombo ($17 million), Marvin Williams ($15 million) and/or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($13 million)? Sounds like it’s a possibility. We will not know for sure until sometime in October when they convene for preseason preparations.

But expect some sort of a balance between the two groups of players because the Hornets can’t stifle the growth of their young core. This season is mostly about evolvement and readying Miles Bridges, Dwayne Bacon and Devonte’ Graham for the 2020-21 campaign.

“I think you used the right word — it’s a balance and there really is no other way to do it,” Kupchak said. “We have to inject this franchise with young talented players. We have to develop them. Our coach, one of the things he works on is player development. We’ve ramped up our G League and our team in Greensboro, the Swarm, and we have to develop young players and we have to get them into the system. And when they get in they are 19, sometimes they are 20. But most of the time they are 19 and they are not ready to play in an NBA game. So you really have to push them.

“You can wait two-and-half years and let it happen naturally. But if you don’t push the process, then you are probably going to fall behind by a year or so. We do have veterans on our team. Who plays, I think most of that is going to be determined in training camp. Our goal is to continue to win games. That’s what we want to do. We do have to continue to try to generate some flexibility financially. We do have more today than we did a year ago. But still, we have to continue to deal with what we have in terms of our salary on our payroll on our roster. But at the same time, you’ve got to balance your veterans and your young players with winning.”

6. Three’s the magic number

When word trickled out about Rozier’s contract, the grumbling grew to a crescendo. Rapidly.

Many people couldn’t believe the Hornets gave him a three-year contract worth $58 million — the amount and length of the deal didn’t win over many people. Kupchak pushed back on the contract being too long, mentioning they had to make it at least three years because that’s the minimum number for any pact used in executing a sign-and-trade.

“I would say it’s right in the middle,” Kupchak said. “Obviously in our league, you can do your deals up to five years and there are a lot of five-year deals that are done every year. And you can get deals as short as one or two years. So this is closely right in the middle. I wouldn’t say it’s a long-term deal. Terry is 25 years old. He’s a proven commodity in this league. Unexpectedly, he became an unrestricted free agent going into the offseason. He was restricted and clearly there were a unique set of circumstances where Boston had an unexpected player (leave) and decisions that they were dealing with. And all of the sudden 10 days ago, Boston and Kemba became a topic. It wasn’t even mentioned two or three weeks ago.

“This was something very recent and as a result of it, Terry Rozier was renounced and made unrestricted. So when you are an unrestricted free agent in this league, and you are 25 years old, and you’ve proved that you can play, it’s an open market. I know what point guards make in this league. There’s always a couple of guys that do really well. But most of the point guards in this league make between $15 and $30-, 35-million. So I think the length is perfect. Whether or not the money is perfect, I think we’ll have to wait a year or two and look back on it, and then you can make a judgment.”

7. A rose for Rozier

Kupchak flew to Rozier’s native Ohio with coach James Borrego last week to get to know him better. They were around each other again this weekend because Rozier is here in town, making an appearance at his new team’s summer league game against San Antonio on Sunday.

He sat alongside Kupchak in one of the courtside chairs lining the baseline near the Hornets’ bench, taking in the action. Kupchak appears to be a big fan of Rozier’s game.

“I like the fact that he’s played four years in this league on a team that has been successful,” Kupchak said. “His first year, he played behind Isaiah Thomas and then his second two years he played behind Kyrie (Irving), got a lot of experience, showed he deserves to be in this league and play in this league. Tough situation to be looking over your shoulder every time and if you make a mistake, Kyrie is coming back in or Isaiah is going to come back in.

“I love the fact he’s 25 years old. He loves to play defense. He’s in the gym all the time. He’s a great worker. I believe he can score in this league and I think he is only going to get better and better and better. With him, he’s got the physical tools and he loves to work. He loves to be in the gym and I think that’s perfect with our coach and how we’re trying to emphasize player development.”

8. Who’s getting seconds?

As a part of their sign-and-trade agreement with the Celtics, the Hornets also received a protected 2020 second-round pick from the Boston. The Celtics also were recipients of a 2020 second-round selection from the Hornets along with Walker.

So how does it all work?

Essentially the Hornets can be left without a second-round pick. It depends on that protected selection of Boston.

“We acquired last offseason a pick — I believe it was from Orlando — where we would in 2020 get the lesser of Brooklyn or New York Knicks pick,” Kupchak said. “That pick was conveyed to Boston and Boston conveyed to us a protected 2020 pick of theirs.”

(Top photo of Terry Rozier: Tom Szczerbowski / USA Today)