On His Way Out?

Kaman is apparently being shopped openly
by a team he recently joined.

After being traded for the first time in mid-December, New Orleans Hornets center Chris Kaman might be joining his second NBA team in as many months.

It has been reported that the league-owned Hornets are fielding offers for Kaman, explaining the reason why he was inactive for the team's Wednesday night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and not present for Friday night's surprising win over the Orlando Magic.

Spending the first eight years of his career playing for the Los Angeles Clippers after being drafted sixth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, Kaman was acquired by the Hornets in the blockbuster trade that sent All-Star Chris Paul to Los Angeles.

Along with Kaman, New Orleans acquired Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves' unprotected 2012 first-round pick in the deal while the Clippers will receive two future second-round picks.

Kaman, 29, is approximately owed $14 million this season.

And while it looks to be mainly a financial decision by the Hornets, it now gives some of their young players a chance to compete for his minutes.

Against the Thunder, 26-year-old rookie Gustavo Ayon made the most of his opportunity and 17 minutes vacated by Kaman, going 8-for-10 from the field, scoring nearly as many points as minutes played with 16.

However, that game resulted in a loss and in the team's win over Magic, Ayon played just nine minutes, never getting on the scoreboard.

As for Kaman, he was hampered by an ankle injury much of the 2010-11 season, playing in only 32 games for the Clippers. This season, adapting to a new home, Kaman is averaging 9.2 points per game and 6.7 rebounds in just 22.7 minutes, numbers far removed from the ones that made him one of the most dominate centers in the league.

During the 2007-08 campaign, the Clippers lost both Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston for the majority of the year due to injury, relying on Kaman the rest of the way. He delivered after setting career-highs in rebounds (12.7) and blocks (2.8) to go along with his 15.7 PPG.

The 2009-10 season was Kaman's most recent more than effective season, starting in all of the 76 games he played in and averaging a career-high 18.5 PPG.

Fresh off their 11th playoff appearance in franchise history, New Orleans find themselves at the bottom of the Southwest Division with 4-15 and building for the future.

A future that clearly Kaman is no longer apart of.