Hornets point guard Chris Paul wished he had an answer as to why the team has been inactive in the trade arena during the offseason, but he suggested it might not matter.
Paul said he has no issues playing with the same roster the team ended with last season. He doesn't think it will take an additional piece to turn the Hornets' fortunes around. It's more of a team attitude adjustment thing in Paul's opinion. "It wasn't necessarily that we just needed someone extra," Paul said Sunday at a Basketball court dedication at Hardin Playground in the 7th Ward. "We just needed something extra as a team. We could have motivated ourselves a little bit more and figured out different things. It's not necessarily a person."
The Hornets are the only team to make the postseason last year that has not made some sort of move whether it be through free agency or trade to attempt to improve their chances for the 2009-2010 campaign. The Miami Heat are in negotiations with free agent Lamar Odom.
"It's a crazy situation, but that's why the people in the front office get paid the big bucks to make those decisions," Paul said. "I control what I can control. That's how I go out and perform. When we get to team camp, we'll see what we have, and we'll go from there."
When asked if he anticipates Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower making any kind of transaction before the start of training camp, Paul said he's as clueless as everyone else.
"I don't know," Paul said. "I'm just like you; I don't know. I'm waiting to see. I'm not pressed for anything. Like I said, I think it's more about our mind-set in camp.
"Regardless of if anything happens before the season, it's not going to be anything drastic. We're basically going to have the same team as last year."
The Hornets' only moves this offseason came via the draft with guards Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton being added to the roster.
The team had been linked to Brandon Bass, Chris Andersen and Jannero Pargo but missed out on all three free agents. Reserves Sean Marks, Melvin Ely and Ryan Bowen are the lone three expired contracts the Hornets can rid themselves of in the coming weeks.
"When we come into training camp, we've got to figure out how to get better as a team," Paul said. ". . . My teammates last year, I love them to death. I hope to see all of them in training camp and can't wait until then."
He said the team has come to him for input with some potential deals this summer but added there's only so much input he could give.
"I can't manipulate the salary cap and do different things like that," Paul said.
The Hornets' hefty contracts seem to have handcuffed the team in making moves this offseason. Teams appear unwilling to take on the Hornets' pricey contracts. The Hornets have the fifth-highest payroll in the NBA at $78.6 million.
Paul may have created the most newsworthy rumor of the Hornets' offseason when he said last week that even he might be a trade candidate for the Hornets .
Hornets officials quelled those thoughts almost immediately after Paul made the statement while in Las Vegas to watch the team's summer league squad.
Paul said he never meant to insinuate he was on the trading block.
"Everybody knows if you ask me if I could be traded I would tell that if any one of my teammates could be traded, so can I," Paul said. "(The reporter) knew that, so I'm not worried about it. . . . I'm not going anywhere. (The fans) know that. Where am I going? I can't go nowhere. I don't want to go nowhere."
