Summer shaping up to be busy for Hornets By LES EAST Special to The Advocate Published: Jul 2, 2006 http://0rz.net/df1zg NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets selected three new players, including two that will be at the center of a rebuilt frontcourt, in the NBA draft Wednesday. That’s just the beginning of what’s shaping up as a busy summer for the Hornets. It got busier Saturday, the first day that teams could begin negotiations with free agents, though no contracts can be signed before July 12. Having addressed their need for big men by drafting 6-foot-11 Hilton Armstrong and 6-9 Cedric Simmons in the first round, New Orleans entered free agency with two key free agents of its own, guard Speedy Claxton and swingman Rasual Butler, plenty of money available under the salary, a lingering need for outside shooters, and at least two players who are attracting trade offers, venerable center/forward P.J. Brown and young, talented shooting guard J.R. Smith. “Our first priority was getting big and we were able to do that,” coach Byron Scott said. “Now we’re going to start looking at some of the shooters who are around. We’re still looking for a shooter. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a shooting guard. It could be a forward.” The Hornets landed one of the top shooting forwards Saturday when Peja Stojakovic agreed to a five-year contract, $64 million contract that his agent said he will sign as soon he is able to on July 12, per NBA rules. Among the better outside shooters left on the market are unrestricted free agents Flip Murray (Cleveland), Tony Delk (Detroit), Tim Thomas (Phoenix) and Bonzi Wells (Sacramento). The Hornets should have an easier time attracting free agents this summer compared to last summer. They were just 18-64 two years ago, but were the most improved team in the NBA last season, winning 20 more games. The presence of point guard Chris Paul, the Rookie of the Year last season, is also attractive to free agents. “It’s not going to be an easy task by any means, but (Paul) makes it easier,” Scott said. “There are a lot of guys I talked to, even during the season, who said they would love to play with Chris Paul. He has that type of effect on people. “Any time you’re a shooter you want to play with a point guard who passes the ball. He’s that type of a point guard. As a shooter, you just have to get open. ” New Orleans is expected to be about $17 million under the estimated salary cap of $52.5 million. “I told (general manager) Jeff Bower not to go crazy with spending,” owner George Shinn said. “We want to stay under the cap if we can do it, but let’s get better.” Shinn said the Hornets have been in discussions about a couple of potentially major trades. Brown and Smith are mentioned most often in trade rumors, but if Claxton’s market value exceeds what the Hornets are willing to pay him, a sign-and-trade deal could involve him. Brown will be 37 years old when the season starts and it appears this might be his last season. Scott plans to cut his minutes played, 32 per game last season, roughly in half and values him as a mentor for Armstrong and Simmons. But Brown, who lives in Slidell, has indicated he might want to play next season with a team that has a strong chance of winning a championship. He and Scott will discuss his wishes during the summer. “We’ve gotten calls about P.J. for two years,” Scott said. “If (a trade offer) was something where we felt it could make us a much better basketball team, I think the first thing we would do would be talk to P.J., give him that much respect for what he has done in this league and let him know what’s going on.” Smith, New Orleans’ No. 1 draft choice two years ago, had a promising rookie season, but regressed last season to the point where the Hornets were on the verge of trading him right before the mid-season deadline. They haven’t ruled out bringing him back, but potential suitors will find receptive ears if they want to inquire about trading for him. Bower said there’s a “distinct possibility” that Smith will play for the Hornets in the Las Vegas Summer League, which gets under way July 7, though he has not committed. Scott said Armstrong, Simmons, Kirk Snyder, who took Smith’s starting shooting guard position during last season, and former LSU forward Brandon Bass, who showed promise last season after being drafted in the second round, are committed to the summer league. Scott said he hopes Bass reports in “unbelievable condition” and displays increased toughness. “We worked all year on his post-up game,” Scott said. “ I know he can face up to the basket and go around people. I want to see if he can develop the toughness to post up.” Marcus Vinicius, a forward from Brazil that New Orleans picked in the second round Wednesday, won’t participate in the summer league because of a fractured finger. Scott said that the team likely will not bring back forward Jackson Vroman, who played as a backup the last two seasons before breaking a wrist during the season. Claxton, Butler, and center Aaron Williams are unrestricted free agents. If the Hornets were to play a game today, the starting lineup would consist of Paul, Snyder, Desmond Mason or Stojakovic, David West and Brown. The top reserves would be center Marc Jackson, forward Linton Johnson, Smith, and Bass. Others on the roster are forward Marcus Fizer, guard Moochie Norris, and backup shooting guard Arvydas Macijauskas, who was a bust after coming over from Europe last season and might not return. By the time the summer ends and the Hornets prepare for training camp, that roster figures to look much different. Story originally published in The Advocate --

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