Hornets to pursue trade for C Kaman
January 28, 2012
NEW ORLEANS (AP)—The Hornets have decided to trade Chris Kaman, who won’tbe playing while the club looks for teams interested in making a deal for theveteran 7-foot center, general manager Dell Demps said.
Kaman was excused from New Orleans’ home game against the Orlando Magic onFriday night, and Demps, who was traveling, said in a written statement duringthe game that the team and Kaman “mutually decided for a number of reasons thatwe are not going to play Chris” while trade talks get under way.
Kaman was acquired in a multiplayer trade that sent Chris Paul to the LosAngeles Clippers shortly before the regular season began, and the 29-year-oldbig man has struggled to find a consistent role in New Orleans.
Kaman has started six games and played in 17, averaging 9.2 points and 6.6rebounds. He is also in the final year of a contract that pays him about $14million this season, making him an attractive trade target for teams looking forboth an experienced center and a large expiring contract that will help clearsalary cap space at the end of the season.
“We had a conversation with Chris and expressed that the Hornets are goingto go in a different direction,” Demps said. “Chris has been the ultimateprofessional during this process and we thank him for the way he has handled thesituation.”
Kaman was part of a trade that also brought the Hornets shooting guard EricGordon, second-year forward Al-Farouq Aminu and a 2012 first-round draft choicethat originally belonged to Minnesota.
Fantasy Basketball 11 registration is open. Sign up today! And follow Yahoo! Sports NBA coverage on Twitter.
