HORNETS ACQUIRE WELLS AND JAMES FROM ROCKETS

Jackson, Haluska Sent to Houston, Vinicius Sent to Memphis in Three-Team Deal

February 21, 2008

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have acquired guard/forward Bonzi Wells, guard Mike James, and cash considerations from the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Adam Haluska, guard Bobby Jackson, forward Marcus Vinicius and a 2008 second round pick. As part of the three-team deal, the Memphis Grizzlies will receive Vinicius, the rights to Malick Badiane and cash considerations in exchange for the rights to Sergei Lishouk.

“We have been looking to improve our bench as we head into the playoffs,” said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower. “This trade dramatically improves our team by giving us proven veteran scorers at the backup guard and swing positions.”

Wells has averaged 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.0 minutes of play in 51 games (seven starts) for the Rockets this season, while James has averaged 6.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.3 minutes of play in 33 games (one start).

Wells spent his first five-and-a-half seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for Wesley Person and a 2004 first-round pick midway through the 2003-04 season. He spent a year-and-a-half with the Grizzlies before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Bobby Jackson and Greg Ostertag before the start of the 2005-06 season. Wells spent one season with the Kings before signing as a free agent with the Rockets, where he has spent the last one-and-a-half seasons.

Wells has averaged in double figures in five of his nine seasons, including a career-best 17.0 points in 2001-02. He has played in 36 career playoff games (16 starts), with his best playoff series coming as a King in 2005-06, where he averaged 23.2 points and 12.0 rebounds in six games against San Antonio.

James has six-and-a-half years of NBA experience with Miami, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Toronto, Minnesota and Houston. He was traded along with Justin Reed to the Rockets for Juwan Howard prior to the 2006-07 season. James has averaged double figures in scoring each of the last three seasons, with his best season as a pro coming in 2005-06 when he averaged career-highs in points (20.3), rebounds (3.3) and assists (5.8) in 79 games (all starts) with the Raptors. He has also appeared in 29 career playoff games, including a championship run with the 2004 Detroit Pistons.

Jackson had averaged 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.3 minutes of play in 46 games this season. Originally signed by the Hornets as a free agent prior to the 2006-07 season, he averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season.

Vinicius averaged 1.9 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 6.6 minutes over 26 career games in one-and-a-half seasons with the Hornets. He was originally drafted by the Hornets with the 43rd overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and had averaged 2.2 points in 13 games for the team this season.

Haluska, the 43rd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, has not appeared in a game this season and spent all but one game one the Inactive List.