The Spurs nearly traded Brent Barry on Thursday afternoon in a multi-team deal that would have netted New Orleans guard J.R. Smith, two NBA sources said.

The deal was close enough to completion ? one opposing team executive said he had heard it was done ? that Spurs officials initially told Barry he might not need to board the team's charter flight here.

The deal unraveled near the league's 3 p.m. trade deadline, which was an hour before the Spurs were scheduled to depart. After Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told Barry the trade was dead, Barry accompanied the team here.

The New Jersey Nets have agreed to send center Marc Jackson and forward Linton Johnson to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Bostjan Nachbar, ESPN.com has learned.

The deal is pending league approval.

The Hornets are looking to acquire a backup center before today?s deadline according to The Times-Picayune, with their bait potentially being anything amongst Bostjan Nachbar, Arvydas Macijauskas and guard J.R. Smith.

When Scott was asked about Smith's long-term future with the team, he said, "I don't know.'

"Like I said, he hasn't improved from last year to this year," Scott said. "I've basically told him on three or four different occasions what he needs to do. That's all I can do."

On Tuesday, Smith said if the Hornets feel he can't help them, it was best for him to go elsewhere. But Smith said Wednesday if the decision were up to him, he wouldn't want to be traded.

"I like this team, I've been here two years, I've got a feel for it," Smith said. "I know the chemistry. I've done everything that (Scott's) told me to do, but it hasn't happened on the floor. But I've got to stay focused and be ready."

New Orleans point guard Speedy Claxton missed the Hornets' game Wednesday night against Utah with a sprained left ankle.

Claxton, New Orleans' third-leading scorer at 12.6 points, missed two games in November with a sprained right ankle but had played in all 51 of the Hornets' other games.

Hornets coach Byron Scott said there was no swelling in Claxton's ankle.

"It's just sore," Scott said. "I don't think he'll be out any more than just tonight. We've got a good couple of days before we go to Utah for this next road trip."

Chris Paul left New Orleans' 102-86 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night after hurting his shoulder in a third-quarter collision -- the latest in a string of injuries for the young point guard.

Paul slammed into 7-foot-3, 305-pound Blazers center Ha Seung-Jin, with 6:17 left in the third quarter and remained on the floor for a few moments, kicking his legs in pain. Already wearing a flak jacket to protect his bruised left ribs, Paul grabbed at his left shoulder, which made contact with Ha and then with the floor as he rolled to the ground.

He put ice on the shoulder, then pulled his warmup top over his jersey and remained on the bench for the rest of the game.

"His body needs this," Snyder said. "It's kind of good because he's a big part of our team. We've won some games without him, but we kind of need him. We know we need him for the stretch. This just gives him time to rest and other guys to rest, too."

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that they have acquired guard Moochie Norris and cash considerations from Houston in exchange for center Maciej Lampe.

?The acquisition of Moochie gives us a solid veteran at the third point guard spot,? said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower.  ?With the recent injuries to Chris Paul and Speedy Claxton, we felt it was important to bring in a player who had experience at running a team as extra insurance.?

Norris had averaged 2.2 points and 1.0 assists in 29 games with the Rockets this season prior to the trade.  The eight-year veteran has averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 assists in 429 career games, including stints with the Grizzlies, Sonics, Knicks and Rockets.  His best NBA season came in 2001-02 when he averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 assists in 82 games with Houston.

Former New Orleans Hornets forward Chris Andersen, kicked out of the NBA for violating the league's drug policy, attended his grievance hearing Friday.

Union attorney Jeffrey Kessler said both parties agreed at the hearing to file briefs in the next two weeks. A decision was expected shortly thereafter.

Andersen was dismissed and disqualified from the league in late January. He is not eligible to apply for reinstatement for two years.

According to the league's collective bargaining agreement, a player can only be disqualified for a fourth positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, or a first positive test for "drugs of abuse."

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 testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Hornets point guard Chris Paul is expected to miss Friday's game against the New York Knicks with a variety of injuries.

The rookie bruised his ribs Wednesday night when he drove the lane and collided with Seattle's Nick Collison. He sat out practice Thursday with a wrap around his left shoulder and upper torso and an ice bag on his neck.

"I don't think Chris will play tomorrow," New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. "I would love to just let him relax for the next two games and see how he feels for Monday.

"Right now, I think he's still pretty banged up. I know how bad he wants to play, but I don't think it would be in his best interests to play the next two games at least."

The Hornets host the Knicks on Friday, then play at Minnesota on Saturday. They are off Sunday before playing Washington on Monday night.

On a night when star rookie point guard Chris Paul and backup Speedy Claxton each left with injuries and Seattle's Rashard Lewis scored 34 points, the Hornets managed to beat the SuperSonics 109-102 on Wednesday.

Chris Paul played 20 minutes, leaving for good early in the third quarter with bruised ribs. A blow to the head left Speedy Claxton with a mild concussion. He played less than a minute in the second quarter.

"Hopefully, one of them will be back soon -- soon being Friday," coach Byron Scott said. Without Paul and Claxton, "It puts a lot more emphasis on guys to play a lot more minutes. But that's pro basketball. You've got to be ready to play."

Philadelphia 76ers President Billy King announced today that the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets have rescinded a trade that would have sent Sixers center/forward Steven Hunter to the Hornets in exchange for two second-round picks in the 2006 and 2007 NBA Drafts. The two teams originally announced the trade last Wednesday, Feb. 1 pending a physical.

New Orleans/Oklahoma informed us today that they were rescinding the trade for Steven Hunter," said King.  "They had some concerns after Steven's physical examination and feel that rescinding the trade is in their best interest.  This will not prohibit Steven from playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.  We expect to have him back in a 76ers uniform shortly."