ducks
07-02-2006, 03:56 PM
Hornets eager to keep Claxton, Butler
By John Reid
Staff writer
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/ind...0970.xml&coll=1
Within the next 11 days, Speedy Claxton expects to know if he will remain with the Hornets or sign with another team.
Claxton, who becomes an unrestricted free agent, has instructed his agent, Bill Duffy, to start negotiations with the Hornets to determine their interest before pursuing other offers. Teams cannot begin signing free agents until July 12.
"I'm going to give them the first crack at it," Claxton said. "I guess if I don't like what I'm hearing from them, I'll have to move on. But I hope with the kind of season I had, they will reward me. I definitely want to be paid my value, and right now I think my value is pretty high, and I think they know that."
Claxton was the Hornets' top reserve last season and averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 assists. Even though he's a point guard, Claxton was at times paired in the backcourt with starting point guard Chris Paul. Claxton shifted to shooting guard, and Coach Byron Scott considered the lineup one of his most effective because it made the team quicker and Claxton was effective at driving or pulling up to shoot.
Claxton, 5 feet 11, is a six-year veteran who played on the San Antonio Spurs' 2004 championship team. He is seeking a four- to six-year deal that could pay him between $4 million to $6 million a year. He made $3.6 million last season.
Claxton was obtained by the Hornets during the 2004-05 season from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for point guard Baron Davis.
Besides Claxton, Hornets small forward Rasual Butler is an unrestricted free agent who can sign with any team. Butler was obtained in a trade with the Miami Heat before the start of last season. He played in 79 games and averaged 8.7 points for the Hornets.
"At this point, I'm going into my fifth year, and it's about stability and being part of somebody's core," Butler said. "It's time for me to step up and have my role solidified."
Scott said Claxton and Butler are priorities to be re-signed, and the team also plans to pursue signing a veteran shooter who can play small forward or shooting guard.
Claxton also is expected to be wooed by the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets.
The New Jersey Nets are expected to pursue Butler, who indicated last week that he wants to return to the Hornets. Last summer, the Hornets quickly had agreements reached to re-sign free agents Chris Andersen and Bostjan Nachbar. This time, Hornets general manager Jeff Bower does not expect quick agreements to be reached.
"We're going to be faced with a more competitive market with Speedy and Rasual, and we understand that," Bower said. "But we've got some plans."
Bower declined to say how much the team is willing to spend to keep both players. With the fourth-lowest payroll in the NBA at $32.1 million, they have about $17 million available to spend on free agents.
Hornets owner George Shinn said during Wednesday's NBA draft that he has instructed Bower not to go overboard with spending, but to pursue top free agents if he can keep the team under the salary cap. Shinn said they are pursuing two trades. One could involve veteran forward P.J. Brown, who is entering the final year of his contract. Another trade possibility is guard J.R. Smith, who has a strained relationship with Scott.
To improve their roster beyond the additions of first-round picks Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons, the Hornets could target unrestricted free agent Peja Stojakovic, 28, who opted out of his contract with the Indiana Pacers.
He is the most proven shooter available in this summer's free-agent class, but he missed four of the six games in the Pacers' first-round playoff series elimination to the New Jersey Nets. Stojakovic averaged 19.5 points in 40 games with the Pacers after his midseason trade from the Sacramento Kings.
Other free agents the Hornets might pursue are Cleveland's Flip Murray, Toronto's Mike James and Sacramento's Bonzi Wells.
For the past three seasons, the Hornets' inability to attract top free agents has been a sore spot. Last season, the Hornets went after small forward Bobby Simmons, wining and dining him in Las Vegas, but were unable to close the deal. Simmons signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Hornets settled for shooting guard Arvydas Macijauskas, who played in 19 games and was unable to learn the playbook.
In 2004, the Hornets offered a three-year, $15 million contract to shooting guard/small forward Morris Peterson. The Toronto Raptors matched the offer to retain Peterson, who was a restricted free agent. That same summer, the Hornets also offered Stephen Jackson a six-year, $36 million deal, but he went to the Indiana Pacers after working out a sign-and-trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
Now the Hornets are hoping the attraction of having Paul, who was chosen Rookie of the Year last season, will help. Scott said several players approached him during the regular season to say they would love playing with Paul.
"Anytime you are a shooter, you want to play with a point guard that passes the ball," Scott said. "I don't think it's going to be as hard as it was in the past to attract that kind of person."
By John Reid
Staff writer
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/ind...0970.xml&coll=1
Within the next 11 days, Speedy Claxton expects to know if he will remain with the Hornets or sign with another team.
Claxton, who becomes an unrestricted free agent, has instructed his agent, Bill Duffy, to start negotiations with the Hornets to determine their interest before pursuing other offers. Teams cannot begin signing free agents until July 12.
"I'm going to give them the first crack at it," Claxton said. "I guess if I don't like what I'm hearing from them, I'll have to move on. But I hope with the kind of season I had, they will reward me. I definitely want to be paid my value, and right now I think my value is pretty high, and I think they know that."
Claxton was the Hornets' top reserve last season and averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 assists. Even though he's a point guard, Claxton was at times paired in the backcourt with starting point guard Chris Paul. Claxton shifted to shooting guard, and Coach Byron Scott considered the lineup one of his most effective because it made the team quicker and Claxton was effective at driving or pulling up to shoot.
Claxton, 5 feet 11, is a six-year veteran who played on the San Antonio Spurs' 2004 championship team. He is seeking a four- to six-year deal that could pay him between $4 million to $6 million a year. He made $3.6 million last season.
Claxton was obtained by the Hornets during the 2004-05 season from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for point guard Baron Davis.
Besides Claxton, Hornets small forward Rasual Butler is an unrestricted free agent who can sign with any team. Butler was obtained in a trade with the Miami Heat before the start of last season. He played in 79 games and averaged 8.7 points for the Hornets.
"At this point, I'm going into my fifth year, and it's about stability and being part of somebody's core," Butler said. "It's time for me to step up and have my role solidified."
Scott said Claxton and Butler are priorities to be re-signed, and the team also plans to pursue signing a veteran shooter who can play small forward or shooting guard.
Claxton also is expected to be wooed by the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets.
The New Jersey Nets are expected to pursue Butler, who indicated last week that he wants to return to the Hornets. Last summer, the Hornets quickly had agreements reached to re-sign free agents Chris Andersen and Bostjan Nachbar. This time, Hornets general manager Jeff Bower does not expect quick agreements to be reached.
"We're going to be faced with a more competitive market with Speedy and Rasual, and we understand that," Bower said. "But we've got some plans."
Bower declined to say how much the team is willing to spend to keep both players. With the fourth-lowest payroll in the NBA at $32.1 million, they have about $17 million available to spend on free agents.
Hornets owner George Shinn said during Wednesday's NBA draft that he has instructed Bower not to go overboard with spending, but to pursue top free agents if he can keep the team under the salary cap. Shinn said they are pursuing two trades. One could involve veteran forward P.J. Brown, who is entering the final year of his contract. Another trade possibility is guard J.R. Smith, who has a strained relationship with Scott.
To improve their roster beyond the additions of first-round picks Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons, the Hornets could target unrestricted free agent Peja Stojakovic, 28, who opted out of his contract with the Indiana Pacers.
He is the most proven shooter available in this summer's free-agent class, but he missed four of the six games in the Pacers' first-round playoff series elimination to the New Jersey Nets. Stojakovic averaged 19.5 points in 40 games with the Pacers after his midseason trade from the Sacramento Kings.
Other free agents the Hornets might pursue are Cleveland's Flip Murray, Toronto's Mike James and Sacramento's Bonzi Wells.
For the past three seasons, the Hornets' inability to attract top free agents has been a sore spot. Last season, the Hornets went after small forward Bobby Simmons, wining and dining him in Las Vegas, but were unable to close the deal. Simmons signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Hornets settled for shooting guard Arvydas Macijauskas, who played in 19 games and was unable to learn the playbook.
In 2004, the Hornets offered a three-year, $15 million contract to shooting guard/small forward Morris Peterson. The Toronto Raptors matched the offer to retain Peterson, who was a restricted free agent. That same summer, the Hornets also offered Stephen Jackson a six-year, $36 million deal, but he went to the Indiana Pacers after working out a sign-and-trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
Now the Hornets are hoping the attraction of having Paul, who was chosen Rookie of the Year last season, will help. Scott said several players approached him during the regular season to say they would love playing with Paul.
"Anytime you are a shooter, you want to play with a point guard that passes the ball," Scott said. "I don't think it's going to be as hard as it was in the past to attract that kind of person."