Jeff says: Sean Marks basically hangs out, waves a towel, says hi to his teammates, maybe plays a few minutes, tosses an outside shot or two up, tells some jokes, etc. And now the Hornets have acquired his services. Here’s the news release:
The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent forward/center Sean Marks. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.
“We are excited for Sean to join our team,” said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower. “He is a veteran leader, who has been on winning teams and will be a great addition to our frontcourt.”
Marks (6-10, 250) is a nine-year NBA veteran with career averages of 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game. He has played with four different teams—Toronto, Miami, San Antonio and Phoenix. When he made his debut as a rookie on March 16, 1999 with the Raptors, he became the first native of New Zealand to play in the NBA.
Most recently with the Suns, Marks played in 19 games during the 2007-08 season, shooting 53.5% (23-of-43) from the field and averaging 3.1 points per contest. He scored in 13 of 19 appearances, including a season-high 16 points and career-high 13 rebounds in the Suns’ season finale Apr. 16 against Portland.
A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Marks played at California, appearing in 86 career games. As a senior, he averaged 9.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in 26 contests.

The Oklahoman (Mel Bracht) reports: Say you’re working late and can’t make it to the Ford Center to watch Oklahoma City’s new NBA team play its game that night. Instead, you log on to your computer and watch streaming video of the team’s game broadcast. Sound far-fetched? Not if the NBA has its way. The league is aggresively promoting three new Internet elements — video streaming in home markets, interactive TV and video-on-demand — for the upcoming season. Ed Desser, a media consultant for Oklahoma City’s team, said many details have yet to be worked out, and didn’t expect the team to offer the Internet elements anytime soon.

It’s always nice when pro athletes who do wacky, stupid, illegal stuff get a chance to right their wrongs.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune (Jimmy Smith) reports: Hornets forward Rasual Butler can avoid prosecution for felony weapons charges in Dade County if he successfully completes four pre-trial conditions arranged by his attorneys and the district attorney’s office in Miami… Butler must donate $500, which is equal to the charge’s appropriate fine, to the “Do the Right Thing” program for kids in the Miami community, perform 50 hours of community service in Dade County, take and complete an appropriate weapons education program in which he will be taught the safe and appropriate handling of a firearm, and renews his personal firearm license, which had lapsed.

The Oklahoman (Mike Baldwin) reports on a team’s 82-game regular season schedule: “Four games against division opponents. Four games against six out-of-division conference opponents. Three games against the remaining four conference teams. Two games against teams in the opposing conference. A five-year rotation determines which out-of-division conference teams are played only three times.”

The Boston Herald reports: According to an NBA source, free agent forward James Posey has agreed to a four-year contract with the New Orleans Hornets. The Celtics had been offering three years at the full mid-level exception.
InsideHoops.com says: This hurts Boston. Posey was their best role player, by far. He exceeded all expectations, especially when it counted most. The Hornets still need more pieces to push them to the top but Posey is a very good addition. Hopefully he stays hungry despite getting his contract.

The  National  Basketball  Association today announced  that  the  Salary  Cap  for  the  2008-09 season will be $58.680 million.   The  new  Cap  goes  into  effect  immediately  as  the league’s “moratorium  period”  has ended and teams can begin signing free agents and making trades.
The  tax level for the 2008-09 season has been set at $71.150 million.  Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $71.150 million.
The  mid-level  exception  is $5.585 million for the 2008-09 season and the minimum  team  salary,  which  is  set at 75% of the Salary Cap, is $44.010 million.
For  the 2007-08 season, the Salary Cap was set at $55.630 million, the tax level was $67.865 million and the mid-level exception was $5.356 million.

The AP reports: Lance Young, Paul’s agent, said Paul agreed Thursday to a three-year extension with a player’s option for a fourth year. The total value of the deal is $68 million.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Former Heat forward Rasual Butler was charged Monday with waving a loaded gun at passers-by at about 5 a.m. on Washington Avenue, according to a Miami Beach police report. Butler, 29, who has been with the New Orleans Hornets since being dealt by the Heat in 2005, faces charges of carrying a concealed firearm and improperly displaying a firearm. He was released on $6,000 bond.
InsideHoops.com says: Hey Rasual, that’s a brilliant move! Stand on the street waving a gun around like a crazy idiot! Weeeeeeeeeee!

The New Orleans Times-Picayune (John Reid) reports: One day after it was announced that there won’t be tryouts for the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, Hornets Coach Byron Scott said he can’t see a team without his star guard, Chris Paul, on it. “I think if they are going to make a team, then he (Paul) should definitely be on it,” Scott said Wednesday. “If they are going to try out guys, that’s a different story. I don’t see how you’ll leave out a guy that was runner-up to the MVP. “I just don’t see how you do it. But I don’t know what the criteria is, but Chris is the ultimate point guard as far as making people around him better. He is very unselfish, and he is a true point guard.” … Jason Kidd appears to be a lock to make the team.

The AP reports: NBA coach of the year Byron Scott, who has the right to buy out the remainder of his contract and go to the highest bidder next season, showed little interest in leaving the Hornets on Wednesday. “I expect to be here,” Scott said. “In my mind right now I hope to be here unless something crazy happens.”