DRAFT PICKS: The Hornets selected Kansas forward Darrell Arthur with the 27th pick, then traded his draft rights o Portland for cash considerations in a deal negotiated before the draft. They had previously traded away their second-round pick.
BIGGEST NEEDS: The Hornets added depth at shooting guard and small forward with the signing of former Celtic James Posey. They can still use backups to C Tyson Chandler and point guard Chris Paul. FREE AGENT FOCUS: Reserve C Chris Andersen signed with Denver. G/F Bonzi Wells is a unrestricted free agent. The Hornets are not interested in re-signing Wells. Reserve G Jannero Pargo opted out of his contract July 1 and signed with Russian club Dynamo Moscow. Reserve C Melvin Ely chose not to opt out of the final year of his contract.
PLAYER NOTES:
--F/C Sean Marks signed with the Hornets. "We are excited for Sean to join our team," said Hornets general manager Jeff Bower, about the first New Zealander in the NBA. "He is a veteran leader who has been on winning teams and will be a great addition to our frontcourt."
--F Ryan Bowen was re-signed by the Hornets on Aug. 11. Terms of the deal were not announced.
"We're very pleased to re-sign Ryan due to his ability to provide a spark off the bench and how well he fits in with our team," said GM Jeff Bower. "Ryan is a great asset to our team both on and off the court. When he is on the court, he has a nose for the ball and is always giving his all to help our team in anyway possible."
--G Mike James might be going from an afterthought to the primary backup to All-Star point guard Chris Paul. James, acquired along with Bonzi Wells from Houston in a trade in February, played little down the stretch or in the playoffs behind Paul and primary backup Jannero Pargo. Pargo opted out of the final year of his contract, and signed with the Moscow Dynamo in Russia.
--With reserve F/C Chris Andersen returning to Denver, the Hornets will again have Hilton Armstrong and Melvin Ely backing up C Tyson Chandler. The Hornets had hoped to upgrade its depth behind Chandler, but hasn't brought in anyone new. Andersen spurned the Hornets' half-hearted interest in him to return to his original team. Ely chose not to opt out of the final year of his contract. Coach Byron Scott said he still has high hopes for Armstrong, although he has been unimpressive in the two seasons since he was the 12th pick in the first round.
--Coach Byron Scott still has an opening on his staff, having yet to replace former assistant coach Darrell Walker, who left in June to become the top assistant on new coach Michael Curry's staff with the Pistons.
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