Jeff Bower Out As Hornets GM

The New Orleans Hornets and their General Manager, ahem...former General Manager Jeff Bower have come to a "mutual" agreement that sees Bower step down from the post he has held since 2005. The Hornets have yet to name either a successor or candidate to replace Bower even though the NBA is currently in the free agent signing period.

Only 9 games into last season Bower fired head coach Byron Scott, took over as interim head coach, and led the Hornets to a 37-45 record. Bower was having trouble keeping the Hornets in the playoff picture while also staying under the luxury tax, mostly thanks to the bloated salaries of Peja Stojakovic($15.3 million), Emeka Okafor($11.5), James Posey($6.5), and Darius Songaila($4.8).

Due to these big chunks of cash going to under preforming players, superstar PG Chris Paul has become frustrated with the franchise's rut of mediocrity after experiencing a breakout seasons two years ago that saw them as the #2 seed in the West. Paul has become "restless" with the state of the team, and will become a free agent in the summer of 2012, leaving many New Orleans fans to wonder if CP3 is counting the days until he can jet out of town.

Before Bower was "mutually" forced out of NO, he was able to clear the salary of Morris Peterson off of the books to get under the luxury tax. Unfortunately, PF, and total BFF of CP3, David West has an Early Termination Option in his contract where he can opt out at the end of next season, which he most likely will do, as he will be 30 years old and looking for the last big payday of his career. Not to mention, he is underpaid as it is. The surprise of last season, Marcus Thornton, and Julian Wright will also be restricted free agents. A restricted free agent allows another team to sign the player to a contract, but the Hornets will have a week to decide if they want to match the offer and keep the player. Fortunately, there is hope! Stojakovic's and Songaila's contracts both come off the books at the end of the coming season which would clear up enough cap space to lure in some of the following big names in next year's free agent class.

2011 NBA Free Agents:

Unrestricted - Carmelo Anthony (Early Termination Option), Yao Ming, Tim Duncan (ETO), Tony Parker, Caron Butler, Mo Williams (ETO), Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Kendrick Perkins, Nene (ETO), JR Smith, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, Michael Redd, Jason Richardson, Carl Landry, Andrei Kirilenko

Restricted - Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Greg Oden, Rodney Stuckey, Brandan Wright, Aaron Brooks, Marc Gasol, Mario Chalmers, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Corey Brewer, Wilson Chandler, Jeff Green, Spencer Hawes, Jared Dudley, Marco Belinelli, Yi Jianlan