The NBA is in a period of turmoil, but no NBA team is surrounded by more uncertainty than the New Orleans Hornets.
With no owner, Chris Paul has a player option after next season—whenever that may be—and David West, having opted out of his contract prior to the NBA lockout, became a free agent this offseason.
With all of these problems surrounding the team, any good news will be welcomed by Hornets fans. I'm here to tell all of you Hornets fans out there to take a deep breath and relax, because the Hornets stand to benefit more than any other team from the lockout.
Two of the main changes owners want made are to switch from the current salary cap system to a hard or flex cap and to alter the revenue-sharing system. Post-lockout, once these changes have been made, a buyer for the franchise will be found relatively quickly.
Now, addressing the business side of the Hornets was the easy part. The personnel problems are not so easy. West has opted to test free agency, and Paul could take the same route if the Hornets do not find a way to put together a team that can compete for a championship in the not-so-distant future.
General manager Dell Demps showed last season he is not afraid to pull the trigger on a deal, and that attitude is one that will serve the Hornets well going forward, as they will need to take chances and cannot be afraid to make mistakes because the biggest mistake they could make is not doing anything.
There have been rumors that Tyson Chandler plans to return to the Hornets to chase a championship with Paul and West. If this turns out to be true, the Hornets could be a consistent presence at shooting guard away from making a deep playoff run.
Yes, the Hornets did tender Marco Belinelli, but at this point, he is best served as a reserve with a little improvement to his game off the dribble. Maybe he could be the guy, but right now he is not. The team will be looking for options in free agency, but with so few guys available, the price tags on the guys who are available will be high, so they may have to look for options in the trade market.
Only time will tell how these situations play out for the Hornets, but the situation is not as bleak as many would lead you to believe.
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