As I'm writing this, them Hornets are busy posing for pictures, signing autographs and making promises that may never be kept. It's media day today, and we've gotten here with a slightly different roster than we had just a week ago.
On Saturday, the Hornets decided to part ways with young Cedric Simmons, trading him to the Cavaliers in exchange for David Wesley and some green. Simmons will reunite with Devin Brown in Cleveland, while Wesley is expected to be waived today once Simmons has cleared a physical and the trade is finalized. Hornets GM Jeff Bower likes Frank Sinatra and thinks this is the best trade in the history of the universe…
"This trade will help us in a number of areas heading into training camp. We will be able to focus on developing the additions we’ve made to our frontcourt, it gives us increased flexibility in regards to salary cap management and it gives us the room to add to our roster if we see fit."
Yeah, I'm not getting that fuzzy feeling about this one, Jeff. Sorry. Sure, Ced was probably going to be way down the rotation this season and his ankle injury this summer couldn't have done him any favors, but when all is said and done he's still a 6-9 grasshopper with the wingspan of a 747. For the money we saved (somewhere in the region of 1.5 to 4.5 million apparently), I'm not so sure this deal was worth doing.
But indeed the deal is done now and we'll soon only remember Simmons as "that guy they drafted after Hilton Armstrong; looked kinda like a turtle." No biggie.
Moving forward, and it seems today the Hornets used some of their new-found wealth not to buy me presents but to sign three more NBA-shaped bodies. In order of which guy looks most like Halle Berry, they are Anthony Richardson, Trey Johnson and Ryan Bowen.
The 6-9 Bowen has seven years of NBA experience but played overseas most recently, averaging a whopping 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds for some Israelian team. From what I can tell, Johnson, a 6-5 guard, is an undrafted rookie who averaged 27.1ppg last year at Jackson State. Meanwhile, the 6-9 Richardson played with the Hornets summer league team in Las Vegas and was impressive, averaging 13ppg on .520 percent shooting.
Not sure what any of those guys have that Cedric Simmons hasn't got, but whatever. The Hornets roster is now 16 players deep with training camp starting tomorrow.