The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that they have exercised the team option on forward David West, which will keep the forward with the club through the 2006-07 season.

"David had a frustrating year due to injuries last season, but he has shown great signs during training camp that he is back to where he needs to be," said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower.  "We look forward to him picking up where he left off before he got hurt and continuing to develop this season."

West has averaged 4.5 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting .458 (183-400) in 101 games over his first two years with the Hornets.  He played in just 30 games last season after suffering a right knee contusion on December 4.
Prior to the injury, he had averaged 11.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games as a starter.

The Hornets selected West in the first round (18th pick overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.

Former Milwaukee Bucks forward Desmond Mason attempted to shed more light on the bitterness he felt over being traded to the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets earlier this week by revealing Friday that over the summer he and his agent had asked the Bucks to trade him, only to be denied.

"This summer, looking at the scenario of how things were playing out . . . we had asked to be moved," Mason told the Journal Sentinel Friday. "We thought it would be in the best of everybody's interest."

Mason was traded Wednesday, along with a first-round draft choice and cash, for center Jamaal Magloire, who is expected to be introduced today at a news conference.

Mason said his agent, Roger Montgomery, told the Bucks that they wanted a trade about the time the Bucks were in the process of signing free agent Bobby Simmons to a $47 million contract in August. Mason and Simmons both play the small-forward position.

According to Mason, general manager Larry Harris at first gave his approval to Mason to seek a trade. But then when other teams called to inquire about a deal, the Bucks expressed no interest.

"We asked to start talking to somebody else," Mason said. "Larry and all those guys gave us permission to talk. There were a few teams that were interested. They called and Larry denied them."

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that they have waived forward George Lynch.

"Coming to an agreement with George allows us to carry an extra player on the roster and allows him to pursue an opportunity with another team this season" said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower.  "We wish him the best of luck."

Lynch played in 248 games with the Hornets from 2001-2005, averaging 4.3 points and 4.1 rebounds.  He averaged 3.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 44 games in 2004-05 and had not appeared with the team during the 2005 preseason.

After learning that he had been traded to the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets, a trade that brought 6-foot-11 center Jamaal Magloire to the Milwaukee Bucks, Desmond Mason was not at a loss for words.

Mason, who played for two-plus seasons in Milwaukee, focused his anger on Bucks general manager Larry Harris and owner Herb Kohl in a radio interview aired on WAUK-AM (1510).

Mason called Harris "a snake in the grass" and said he "flat out lied to my face" about the chances of being traded, even after the Bucks signed free-agent forward Bobby Simmons during the summer.

After the Bucks' practice Thursday, Harris said the deal came together quickly early this week, after the general manager had a Pfister Hotel coffee shop session with Sen. Kohl on Monday morning. Harris had become concerned about the Bucks' depth at power forward and center, but he denied he was shopping Mason to other teams.

"Certainly, no one wants to be called that," Harris said of the "snake in the grass" comment. "All I can say is I know he has a great passion for Milwaukee. It was a shock to him when I phoned him, I knew that.

"Obviously, he's a very emotional young man. It's the nature of the beast, and we move on."

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that they have waived guard Alex Garcia.

Garcia, who was signed as a free agent on Oct. 1, averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 assists in four games for the Hornets during the preseason.  The preseason roster now stands at 16 players.

Hornets coach Byron Scott wasn't happy about the way his team defended in Tuesday night's 97-94 preseason loss to the Atlanta Hawks in North Little Rock, Ark.

The Hornets gave up numerous drives to the basket and were slow to challenge shooters, as the Hawks made 57 percent of their shots. In an effort to improve, Scott spent most of Wednesday's 2 ?-hour practice putting his players through defensive drills.

The Hornets play the defending champion San Antonio Spurs tonight in Bossier City -- the team's first return to the state since being displaced by Hurricane Katrina and temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City for this season.

"We have to get stronger and tougher physically as a basketball team. When you give up 52 points in the paint, and 10 or 11 of them are from dunks, that means you are soft," Scott said.

"That's the bottom line. We've got to get to the point where we are tougher and start hitting people and being a little more physical if we want to form any type of identity. Now teams are going to come at us every night."

Last Saturday, the Orlando Magic shot 56 percent from the field in their 101-83 victory against the Hornets in Tampa, Fla.

"We think it's going to come by itself, and it's not," forward Bostjan Nachbar said. "Defense is something that you have to work on every night if you want to win. We're going have to change our mental approach."

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that they have waived guard Troy Bell.

Bell, who was signed as a free agent on Oct. 1, played a total of 10 minutes in the Hornets' first two preseason games.  The preseason roster now stands at 17 players.

The New Orleans Hornets had already lost their general manager Allan Bristow and now their chief marketing officer Tim McDougall is the latest to step down.  

Team president Paul Mott said the team's relocation from New Orleans to Oklahoma City because of Hurricane Katrina has been difficult for some of the team's employees.

"During this time of great change and uncertainty, there have been a number of people who have not opted to come to Oklahoma City," Mott said. "Some who couldn't bring themselves to leave Louisiana in a time of great need. Others had family and things that made the decision to come to Oklahoma City very hard."

Hornets coach Byron Scott said it was his decision to ban backup forward George Lynch from training camp.

During Monday's Media Day, Lynch made a request to be traded because he wants to play for a contending team. Lynch is in the final year of his contract with the Hornets.

"I don't want those type of distractions in our locker room,'' Scott said after Wednesday's practice at Southern Nazarene University. "George has made it clear that he wants to be traded, and we made it clear that we want to trade him. So that's not like something new. We want to try and get rid of him, try to make him happy. As far as I'm concerned, if a player doesn't want to be here, I don't want him here.''

Lynch is sidelined for up to two to three weeks with a heel injury. Team officials said he will do all of his rehabilitation work in Dallas, his hometown.

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that Allan Bristow has stepped down as general manager due to health concerns.

Director of Player Personnel Jeff Bower has been promoted to general manager.

"The stress and strain of the last month took a serious toll on various health problems that I was already facing before the hurricane," said Bristow.  "After consulting with my physician, it became clear that stepping down was the only decision that made sense for me and my family."

Bower, who is entering his 11th season with the Hornets, will return to the role of general manager effective immediately.  He previously served as general manager from 2001-2003.

"We expect to do great things this season both on and off the court," said Bower.  "I'm proud that I will be a part of both the excitement that is being generated in Oklahoma City and the rebuilding effort that we will help to see through in Louisiana."