Officially, the New Orleans Hornets “remain open” to trading Chris Kaman, reports the Times-Picayune.
What that really means is they are going to trade Chris Kaman before the deadline.
The question is where. One possible answer is Indiana, according to the Indianapolis Star.
The Pacers have an All-Star center in Roy Hibbert but the depth drop off behind him is pretty steep. Jeff Foster was to be the man but he can’t stay healthy (played in just 11 games this season). That leaves Lou Amundson to masqurade as a five even though he is really a four.
The Pacers have $14.5 million in cap space so they can absorb Kaman’s contract easily (and they only have 13 guys on the roster). Kaman is in the final year of a $14 million deal, so he does not weigh down their books going forward.
The only question is how hard a deal the Hornets will drive and if the Pacers will pay the price. The Hornets shopped Kaman around before the All-Star break but were asking far more in return than any team was willing to pay. Since he has been put into the lineup Kaman has played well, but he still remains a rental and the Pacers have a starting center, so they are not going to give up much to get him.