# Hornets sell 45th pick to New York Knicks



## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

The Hornets made the decision to take their 45th pick and parlay it into a 1 million dollar cash settlement from the New York Knicks. The writing should have been on the wall based on their financial issues and lack of ownership, but there are several things wrong with this school of thought. 

First, with second round selections being non-guaranteed, the Hornets could have taken a flyer on a player in an attempt to find a gem. Just two years prior they managed to luck into a player in Marcus Thornton with the 43rd pick that was is a nice young player and eventually returned a solid 6th man type big in Carl Landry. Second, the Hornets already have very limited players on their roster, with little money to work with. Second rounders garner very small contracts, so if a team gets production from such a small salary then they can spend that saved money on other necessary pieces. With the prospects on the board I feel as if someone was there to at least CONTEND for a backup spot on a roster that is fairly flawed at this point.

However, on the flip side of the equation, the Hornets did get a cool 1 million dollars for a player that is best known for his ability to wear jean shorts and sport an impressive 5 o'clock shadow. When reflecting back on Mark Cuban complaining about the "league" basically paying for the Hornets to get Carl Landry at the trade deadline last season, this could potentially be beneficial later on down the line if they must go over the cap to sign a player or take back a little extra salary in a trade. 

The pessimist in me is obviously frustrated that I don't at least have a new face to adorn as my new intrigue throughout this boring summer, but I will refrain from going off the deep end until I see what this actually garners the team. More than anything i think I am just frustrated that I sat around for 4 hours drinking steadily waiting for a draft pick, when in turn they flipped it for an amount of money thats monumental to 95% of the population, but chump change in major league sports.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

Edit- apparently the monetary amount was $750,000 as opposed to $1 million, which makes this an even tougher pill to swallow. We just went from Mclaren fundage all the way down to a Porsche Spider 918 category, sad days indeed.


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## Geaux Tigers (Apr 26, 2004)

It doesn't bother me at all in this particular draft...do whatever you have to do to stay in the black N.O.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

Geaux Tigers said:


> It doesn't bother me at all in this particular draft...do whatever you have to do to stay in the black N.O.


I think more than anything it proves just how frugal this team has to be in order to do anything during free agency in the near future. It concerns me considering how limited the assets are that we already have. Fact is at #45 we could have taken a player that another team may have had on their draft list but missed out, and then talks could arise from that in order to get something done. Obviously selling the 45th pick isn't earth shattering or anything, but I know Dell was traveling the world and went to all these open workouts and camps, and still couldn't come out with a player he thought would help.


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## Porn Player (Apr 24, 2003)

If he looked and couldn't find anything why are you complaining? He obviously thought the cash considerations were worth more than the pick. Can you disagree? I can't see much talent past the 45th, however I can see alot of players that are going to get cut pretty quickly. 

I'd be more bummed if he never looked and just sold the pick regardless ala The Suns franchise the past few seasons. That doesn't appear to be the case so cut the guy some slack. And if you're still mad, take a quick look at a couple of the leagues other organisations and how poorly they are ran and you'll swiftly count your blessings.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Actually, Suns haven't sold a 1st rd pick since 2007 .

But yeah, those few yrs in a row before. Ugh.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

Porn Player said:


> If he looked and couldn't find anything why are you complaining? He obviously thought the cash considerations were worth more than the pick. Can you disagree? I can't see much talent past the 45th, however I can see alot of players that are going to get cut pretty quickly.
> 
> I'd be more bummed if he never looked and just sold the pick regardless ala The Suns franchise the past few seasons. That doesn't appear to be the case so cut the guy some slack. And if you're still mad, take a quick look at a couple of the leagues other organisations and how poorly they are ran and you'll swiftly count your blessings.


That's why I'll give them the benefit of the doubt at this time, considering a couple guys I thought they would take a flyer on didn't even get drafted. Personally I would've rather they packed this pick with a future one to move up in the draft, not the other way around. I didn't expect them to move into the first because that's guaranteed money salary, but if there was a handful of guys that they thought could help the roster (which Demps said there was) it seems like this years second and a future second could have been enough to move up and grab them. Standing pat and selling draft picks generally doesn't garner you young talent, and when your such a frugal team you really should be looking to get young players on the cheap to round out the roster. I'll still agree with the sentiment that something good will come from this, but in the short term I just dislike the premise of slinging draft picks like their drugs to the highest bidder.


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## Porn Player (Apr 24, 2003)

Yeah, the whole premise of it bothers me too. I almost wish the 2nd round guys got guaranteed money (a really basic amount for 1 year), it's fairer on the players that way and gives the fans another little something to get hyped about. 

Picks 33 to 40 had a lot of role player talent, it is a shame you couldn't sneak on into that area (especially when the Warriors went ahead and bought pick 39) ...


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## Porn Player (Apr 24, 2003)

Oh and anytime you can sell Josh Harrellson for one million dollars, you have to chalk that up as a good day.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

Porn Player said:


> Oh and anytime you can sell Josh Harrellson for one million dollars, you have to chalk that up as a good day.


haha touche' on that one my man. What I don't get is obviously the pick was solely made for the Knicks, its not like the Hornets drafted him and immediately found a buyer in like 10 seconds, but could you imagine being that dude and waking up today thinking "the New York Knicks just bought my jean short wearin ass for a million dollars!"


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

Porn Player said:


> Yeah, the whole premise of it bothers me too. I almost wish the 2nd round guys got guaranteed money (a really basic amount for 1 year), it's fairer on the players that way and gives the fans another little something to get hyped about.
> 
> Picks 33 to 40 had a lot of role player talent, it is a shame you couldn't sneak on into that area (especially when the Warriors went ahead and bought pick 39) ...


Some of those guys are first round talent also, which has to be frustrating for a player to go from for sure money to maybe not getting jack. Then again, if they really are that first round talent they will should be showin it in training camp and get locked up to a contract anyway. It's amazing how thin the talent pool really is when thinking about it, basically you get like 20 new rotation players a season, the damn NBA used to rock 10 round drafts in the 80's :laugh:


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## girllovesthegame (Nov 3, 2005)

I knew going in that this draft was pretty much a yawner. Use this money and whatever trade exceptions you have (Peja's te is about $6 mil by itself) to try to sign Landry and/or some other vet player (possibly West). What are the chances of Harrellson sticking with the Knicks? He may not but the Hornets will still have that money.


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