The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that they have acquired forward Aaron Williams from Toronto in exchange for second round picks in 2006 and 2009.

?Aaron will be able to step right in and provide us with an inside presence off the bench,? said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower.  ?We?ve been looking for someone to help us to solidify our frontline, and he definitely fits the bill.?

Williams, a 11-year NBA veteran, holds career averages of 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 612 games.  He had averaged 1.9 points and 1.2 rebounds through 13 games with the Raptors this season.

J.R. Smith, the sky-walking 20-year-old guard in his second season, could be one of the players traded by the Feb. 23 deadline.

Yes, this is the same Smith who dazzled New Orleans last season with his dunks and long-range shooting, winning Western Conference rookie of the month honors three times.

But Smith was inconsistent during the first two months of this season -- his first two months as a starter -- suffering through a horrid shooting slump in December. Smith averages 9.3 points per game and has led the team in scoring three times; last season he averaged 10.3 points and led the team in scoring 17 times. Since his Jan. 2 benching, he has played 10 or more minutes just four times.

Said Smith earlier this month: "I put a lot of pressure on myself more last year than this year."

Byron Scott, the Hornets' stern coach, does not tolerate complacency. Earlier in January, when asked about Smith's efforts, Scott said that NBA stands for "No Babies Allowed."

And there's no caboose on Scott's train.

Obviously, the Hornets have invested in Smith -- the No. 18 pick of the 2004 draft -- and want to see if he will pan out. He's still learning the pro game at a college age. But if Scott isn't going to play Smith -- or even have Smith in his rotation -- then the Hornets will have to consider trading Smith to get a player who can make an immediate impact.

The Hornets appear headed toward maintaining their home base in Oklahoma City, with several visits to New Orleans likely for the 2006-07 season, the Times-Picayune reported.

While the Hornets' number of games to be played in New Orleans next season is uncertain, the team is expected to return to the city full time for the 2007-08 season, according to the paper.

Hurricane Katrina forced the NBA franchise, along with other professional and college sports teams, to leave New Orleans last year.

While NBA commissioner David Stern has been leaning toward the Hornets ultimately returning to New Orleans, coach Byron Scott has expressed concerns about the timing.

"I really don't think they'll have the residency, the economics to support a second franchise," Scott told the newspaper on Thursday. "I think our attendance would probably be worse, because I don't think you have enough people. That's my main concern."

"We believe the Hornets' lease agreement requires them to return to New Orleans for the 2006-07 season," Louisiana Superdome Commission chairman Tim Coulon said in a statement quoted by the Times-Picayune. "We are aware of their concern regarding the ability of the market to support a 41-game season.

"The state ... has been diligently working with the Hornets and the NBA toward the same mutual goal: to assure the long-term success of NBA basketball in New Orleans. We have made every effort to make accurate, objective information and projections available to them. We believe they have made a long-term-commitment to New Orleans."

The NBA announced today that Chris Andersen of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets has been dismissed and disqualified from the league for violating the terms of the Anti-Drug Program agreed to by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

A veteran player such as Andersen who is dismissed from the league under the Anti-Drug Program cannot apply for reinstatement for at least two years.

The NBA, NBA teams, and the Players Association are prohibited from publicly disclosing information regarding the testing or treatment of any NBA player under the Anti-Drug Program, other than to announce a player's suspension or dismissal from the league.

The drugs on that list are amphetamine and its analogs, which include methamphetamine; cocaine; LSD; opiates, including heroin, codeine and morphine; and PCP.

Andersen has not previously been suspended for steroid use.

Hornets owner George Shinn released the following statement:

"All aspects of the NBA's Anti-Drug Program are kept confidential as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.   However, we can say that we were obviously disappointed and saddened to hear that Chris has been dismissed from the league.   On behalf of his teammates, coaches and the entire organization, we wish him well and hope he learns from this experience."

Hornets coach Byron Scott said Wednesday he would rather have the team return to Oklahoma City than go back to New Orleans next season.

"I would love to play here," Scott said after the Hornets' 84-68 loss to San Antonio at Oklahoma City's Ford Center. "I would love to stay here and play in Oklahoma City next year. I think our guys are at home here. I think the fans have been unbelievable. Out of our 12 home wins, I think the fans out there have won half of them. So, I would prefer to stay here next year."

The Hornets are 12-7 in Oklahoma this season and have already exceeded their win total from last season. After going 18-64 last season, the Hornets are 20-22 this season following the loss to the Spurs.

The NBA has said it would like to make a decision about the Hornets' 2006-07 home by the end of this month, so the team could move forward with season ticket sales. Displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the Hornets will play 36 of their 41 home games in Oklahoma City. Three others are scheduled at the New Orleans Arena in March, and games were played at alternate sites in Baton Rouge, La., and Norman, Okla.

Scott said he doesn't think the decision has been a distraction for his players, but he doesn't want to wait until the summer to find out.

"I hope the NBA makes up their mind as soon as possible," he said.

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that tickets for the three games scheduled to be played in the New Orleans Arena in March will go on sale Wednesday, January 25th at 10:00 a.m.  Single game tickets can be purchased at hornets.com, 1-800-4NBA-TIX, all operating Ticketmaster outlets or the New Orleans Arena box office.  

"Our goal since the hurricane has been to play games in the New Orleans Arena this season," said Hornets President Paul Mott.  "We are so pleased to be bringing these three games home, and reconnecting with our great fans in New Orleans."

Highlights of the March schedule include visits by Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8th, Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets on March 18th and Elton Brand and the Los Angeles Clippers on March 21st.

Hornets coach Byron Scott doesn't need statistics to back his case, though the numbers are glaring: Hornets forward David West averages 16.9 points per game; the team's three centers average 16.2 combined.

"We're going to look for another big man -- period," Scott said. "We've got to bring someone else in here sooner or later."

Though P.J. Brown has been solid for the Hornets, and Chris Andersen has provided energy when healthy, the Hornets don't have the desired depth at the post position. Jackson Vroman is unpolished and seldom used.

And Maciej Lampe?

"Can we talk about something else?" Scott said when questioned about the inactive and oft-injured center. "I think he's got everyone around here disappointed. He comes back from one practice, gets hurt, and he's gone for a week or two. I'm not real high on him right now."

As the season creeps toward the Feb. 23 trade deadline Scott yearns for reinforcement. He made it clear Wednesday that he and the Hornets' brass will make efforts to strengthen their weakness. Scott said there are "eight or nine" players on his roster he is comfortable with, implying there are others at the end of the bench who could be used as trade bait.

"(General Manager) Jeff Bower will start getting tons of calls because everyone knows we're under the salary cap, and we have a lot of money for next summer," Scott said. "And, we're very young and have a roster spot to fill.

"We're in a great position to take on another player if we need. To me, we have a couple of needs. We need the big guy, but as Jeff and I talked about today, point guard is another position. I've talked about carrying three, and decided not to. But that might something we need to consider after the Atlanta loss (Jan. 7). With Chris (Paul) not playing, we really, really struggled."

Just because Chris Paul hurried back from a torn thumb ligament doesn't mean New Orleans Hornets coach Byron Scott won't cringe every time his star rookie drives to the basket.

Paul, the NBA's top rookie in points, assists and steals, was supposed to miss at least two weeks after tearing the ligament on the inside of his right thumb. Instead, Paul sat out only one game and was back in the starting lineup for the Hornets' game against Detroit on Tuesday.

"I worry about him every day," Scott said after the Hornets' practice Thursday at the University of Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center, the site of their game Friday against Sacramento.

" ... Every game, there's a possibility of the thing getting hit and knocked out of place or something."

New Orleans rookie point guard Chris Paul started for the Hornets against Detroit on Tuesday night despite a torn ligament in his thumb, coach Byron Scott said.

Paul tore the ligament on the inside of his right thumb Friday during the Hornets' 90-80 win over Portland. He missed the Hornets' last game, a 101-93 loss at Atlanta on Saturday.

Paul is the NBA leader among rookies in scoring, assists, steals and minutes. He was expected to be out at least two weeks.

Paul participated in the Hornets' shootaround at the Ford Center on Tuesday morning and Scott made the decision to play Paul afterward.

"He's just a very competitive young man who wants to play," Scott said before the game.

Scott said he was "a little on edge" about his decision, but that team doctors told him that Paul couldn't damage the thumb any further by playing.

"I had no thoughts about playing him ... until this morning," Scott said.

New Orleans point guard Chris Paul left the Hornets' game against Portland on Friday night with a torn ligament in his right thumb and will miss at least two weeks.

Paul grabbed his right thumb and walked toward the Hornets bench after a basket by Portland's Juan Dixon with 11:24 left in the third quarter.