With less than a week remaining before free agents can sign contracts, Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower has inquired about former LSU and Hornets forward Brandon Bass, a league source said Thursday afternoon.
Before the free-agency period began Wednesday, Bass said through his agent, Tony Dutt, that the Hornets were one of the teams on his list. Although Dutt said the Hornets did not contact him early Wednesday morning, he said he anticipated getting a phone call from Bower eventually. Talks are expected to continue, but Bass is drawing interest from several other teams. It is not known how much the Hornets would be willing to offer Bass.
Bass is a Baton Rouge native and a 2005 second-round pick by the Hornets . He struggled during his first two seasons with the team before signing a free-agent deal with the Dallas Mavericks in 2007. As a backup last season, Bass averaged 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 rebounds.
As a Hornet, Bass' biggest problem in Coach Byron Scott's system was adjusting to his role as mainly a rebounder. However, he proved to be one of the team's hardest workers.
This past season, Scott said if he had to do it over again, he would have changed some things to help Bass' development when he was with the Hornets .
Whether New Orleans signs Bass or not, it is seeking a capable backup power forward to give starter David West more rest. West averaged a team-high 39.2 minutes per game last season.
The Hornets are also interested in veteran power forward/center Joe Smith. His Los Angeles-based agent, Dan Fegan, could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
In addition, the Hornets have inquired about free-agent frontcourt players Mikki Moore, Maceo Baston and Jake Voskuhl. All are unrestricted free agents.
Despite the Hornets' frontcourt needs, one of the first calls Bower made after midnight Wednesday was to guard Jannero Pargo's agent, Mark Bartelstein. But Bartelstein said Bower told him they still have things to work out with their roster before making a possible offer to Pargo.
Pargo, a former Hornet, can play point guard and shooting guard. But if signed, most of Pargo's playing time minutes probably would come at backup shooting guard. The Hornets currently are overstacked at that position with starter Rasual Butler and backups Peterson, Brown and rookie Marcus Thornton.
Last week, the Hornets drafted UCLA's Darren Collison in the first round to handle the backup point guard duties. They acquired Thornton, who played at LSU, in a trade with the Miami Heat after he was selected as the 43rd pick in the second round.
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John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826-3407.
