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The Hornets are not obligated to take back any salary in a trade for (Chris) Kaman, according to sources, and a team acquiring him would only have to part with $9.3 million in player salaries according to league rules, not $14 million.

A league source said Wednesday night that the Indiana Pacers, one of several other teams reportedly in the mix for Kaman, could, in fact, be the leading candidate for a swap.

The Pacers apparently are looking for a backup to Roy Hibbert.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/source-pacers-a-candidate-for-kaman

Good move if we can pull it off. Amundson should NEVER be a backup center and with Foster out this definitely makes sense. I think he's in the final year of his contract too.

If we're just taking on his contract then that's great. I just wouldn't give up a pick (1st) for a short term rental on Kaman. I don't think he significantly improves our stature from a team with a fighting chance to get out of the first round (and maybe win a couple games in the conference semis) to ... anything above that.

I'd give them a 2nd and or Amundson or Danhtay Jones if they want a small contract. Adding Kaman would give us some good depth at Center.

we may have the cap room to just do this. if he's healthy, it could be a great move.

^^^ I know I haven't really ever supported DJones, but I have to admit his defensive intensity is really high. What makes him effective is he has changed his offensive philosophy, gone is the ground-and-pound till he takes a bad shot. He also offsets crazies like Beasley & Shawne Williams. If he is just a throw-in, I'd rather keep him for $3 mill. His replacement in Denver (Affalo) just got $42 mill, and he is no better.

This Kaman talk is silly because he is truly be a 1/2 season rental due to the fact he will get $40 mill this offseason. I guess if NO's is seeking a minimal return, than I'd be interested in the Lou/ 2nd scenario.

Can't really see how he plays significant minutes unless the team sets Hibberts mpg. to around 30, obviously that leaves 18 mpg. for Kaman. Then the split at PF can be 50-50... +/- 4, with the advantage going to the more effective player.

A move like this would really set us up to contend this season, beyond that Kaman will resume being a starter someplace else.

It's on the wiretap now. I'm a bit lukewarm on this though the idea of having him would really be awesome. I just can't guess who are we going to move for him.
Would they be interested in Amundson? They have a bigger version of him in Jason Smith. And Amundson is starting to contribute in every way he can, If i were to choose between Kaman and Amundson, i'd keep Lou.
Dahntay could turn out really valuable to Indy on defense especially now that George Hill is out indefinitely.
We've build this team through draft and i can see us still taking that approach for the next season, so picks would be valuable even if we're on the tail end of the draft.
If they could settle for Stanko, Pendergraph, and a 2nd rounder, i'd be happy. That way, we don't have to give up someone in the "rotation".

You think we could have Jarrett Jack back for Collison?

Boneman2 wrote:^^^ I know I haven't really ever supported DJones, but I have to admit his defensive intensity is really high. What makes him effective is he has changed his offensive philosophy, gone is the ground-and-pound till he takes a bad shot. He also offsets crazies like Beasley & Shawne Williams. If he is just a throw-in, I'd rather keep him for $3 mill. His replacement in Denver (Affalo) just got $42 mill, and he is no better.

This Kaman talk is silly because he is truly be a 1/2 season rental due to the fact he will get $40 mill this offseason. I guess if NO's is seeking a minimal return, than I'd be interested in the Lou/ 2nd scenario.

Can't really see how he plays significant minutes unless the team sets Hibberts mpg. to around 30, obviously that leaves 18 mpg. for Kaman. Then the split at PF can be 50-50... +/- 4, with the advantage going to the more effective player.

A move like this would really set us up to contend this season, beyond that Kaman will resume being a starter someplace else.

I agree Dahntay Jones is underrated. He's a slasher and can play good D. If he cuts to the basket or shoots jumpers within 10 feet, I like what he does.

SuperReggie31 wrote:You think we could have Jarrett Jack back for Collison?

Gross.

We've had him before and just like Collison put up better numbers in NOH, Jack is doing the same. They run a system that makes the most point guards. You'll be disappointed if you trade Collison for Jack. Jack's numbers will go down, Collison's will go up and we'll now have a guy that does as much or less and is 5 years older.

Imagine a second unit of Hill, Jones, Hansbrough, Kamen, Stephenson. Kamen and Tyler would kill the average backup 4 and 5. The competitive advantage the Pacers have this year over most any team is the bench. This makes it even stronger. After this trade we are right there with the Bulls.

Hate to see us give up a first round pick to get this done.

Our first wouldn't be that high this season, especially after the trade. If we put top-10 protection on it, just in case the season goes sour, then would it be more attractive?

He would be the best back up 5 in the league. It would make us real contenders.

That being said he would very likely be a rental, and an expensive one.
I don't give a first here. Cap space and Admundson looks sweet to me if they'd take it. But they may not want his salary back. That's ok too. I'd sweeten it with a 2nd if necessary.

In my opinion, the Pacers big man situation is as follows:

Hansbrough comes off the bench for 24 mpg at PF
West starts at PF and play 24 mpg there and another 6-8 mpg at C. Total 30-32 mpg.
Hibbert starts at C and plays 30-32 mpg.

That leaves 8-12 mpg at Center. When Foster is healthy, he fills that role very well. Kaman would not be happy playing 8-12 mpg and at $14 million per year would be an expensive rental.

The Pacers need to find a low cost big man (6'11" or bigger) to come off the bench for 8-12 mpg and can fill in for 20-24 mpg if anything happens to Hibbert. In other words, we basically need a younger, more offensive minded version of Jeff Foster.

pacers70 wrote:Kaman...at $14 million per year would be an expensive rental.

This is exactly why the Pacers ought to be able to get Kaman for virtually nothing. Unless I am mistaken, they can absorb his entire salary and still be under the cap.

New Orleans saves a whole bunch of money...that's their incentive for doing the trade. The Pacers trade them something like the rights to Erazem Lorbek. Absolutely no need to also send New Orleans any real assets, like Jones or a draft pick, or even Amundsen.

Kaman would be strictly a half-season rental, but he'd be a huge upgrade at backup center (especially if Foster remains unavailable). I'd like to see this happen, assuming the Pacers don't have much likelihood of adding someone better than Kaman later this season.

mizzoupacers wrote:

pacers70 wrote:Kaman...at $14 million per year would be an expensive rental.

This is exactly why the Pacers ought to be able to get Kaman for virtually nothing. Unless I am mistaken, they can absorb his entire salary and still be under the cap.

New Orleans saves a whole bunch of money...that's their incentive for doing the trade. The Pacers trade them something like the rights to Erazem Lorbek. Absolutely no need to also send New Orleans any real assets, like Jones or a draft pick, or even Amundsen.

Kaman would be strictly a half-season rental, but he'd be a huge upgrade at backup center (especially if Foster remains unavailable). I'd like to see this happen, assuming the Pacers don't have much likelihood of adding someone better than Kaman later this season.

Lorbek was a throw-in on the George Hill/Kawhi Leonard trade on draft night. The only "rights" we have stashed are for the legendary Stanko.

Damn shrewd bastards those Spurs. I forgot about that.

Hmm...Stanko's rights might actually be worth hanging onto. But my point still stands--in trading for Kaman the Pacers would be saving the Hornets millions of dollars, and it really shouldn't take anything beyond that to get him from New Orleans.

Of course the Pacers would have to themselves pay Kaman those millions of dollars...not sure whether our front office would be willing to do that.

Pacers have a once in a rebuilding cycle opportunity here. I'm guessing they are more than willing to pay Kamen for 1/2 a season. Gotta think we have to give up some value. I'd give a 2nd in a heart beat to get this done. I'd be ok with Stepheson too. If we are in go for it mode, keeping Price makes more sense to me.

I wanna keep LS for a while. I'm big on cheap potential.
The other guys I'd give. I'd even prefer to lose one of them.
Admundson or Pendergraph - i don't see much time for either of them if we have CK, why pay both their salary?

mizzoupacers wrote:
But my point still stands--in trading for Kaman the Pacers would be saving the Hornets millions of dollars, and it really shouldn't take anything beyond that to get him from New Orleans.

An even better point is that the Pacers wouldn't be saving the Hornets money per se, but rather would be saving every other owner in the NBA money since the league owns the Hornets right now.

You think Cuban or Gilbert would pitch a fit about having to pay crap salary in return for Kaman? You think they would quietly tell Stern they would prefer to save a couple hundred thousand and just ship Kaman off to someone else for a tpe or cap space?

It would be fun to see the Pacers go "twin towers"...Hibbert has his mask, Kaman is scary without any props, other teams would be bringing the ball up the court against two seven-foot dudes who look like they'd enjoy killing you with chainsaws.