The New Orleans Hornets were very active leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline, and they appear to have made a move to provide more frontcourt depth. They have acquired forward Carl Landry in a trade with the Sacramento Kings for guard Marcus Thornton and forward David Anderson, according to a report by ESPN’s Marc Stein.
Carl Landry Acquired In Trade By Hornets For Marcus Thornton, According To Report
The move will provide New Orleans with the interior scoring they seek on the bench while also providing an insurance policy in case David West decides to leave as a free agent over the summer. Landry was an up-and-coming player for the Rockets, but has faltered badly in Sacramento this season, shooting under 50 percent for the first time in his career. Even though he is known as a tough inside player, his rebounding has been mediocre, and has been particularly bad this season.
The Hornets, however, likely think a change of scenery and being inserted in a playoff race will invigorate Landry after a season in messy Sacramento. The Kings acquired him for Kevin Martin at the trade deadline last season, but he lost playing time to DeMarcus Cousins this year.
The Kings are also hoping a change of scenery benefits Thornton, who has fallen off after an outstanding rookie season, when he averaged 14.5 points with efficient shooting as a sixth man. He’s shooting just 41 percent from the field and is averaging half as many points as he did last season. He never clicked with new coach Monty Williams, perhaps due to his poor defense. Anderson is a spare big man acquired from Toronto earlier this season that never made the regular rotation.
Landry is a free agent after the season, while Thornton is a restricted free agent.
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