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Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul agreed to a three-year contract extension with a player option for a fourth year, his agent Lance Young said Thursday.

The deal is estimated at $68 million, which will push Paul's yearly salary starting in 2009-10 to more than $20 million per season, Under NBA rules, Paul cannot sign the deal until July 9.

"The deal is done,'' said Young, who declined to go into more specifics regarding the deal.

Young and Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower had been in discussions since Wednesday after agreeing in principle on the extension Tuesday. However, Young arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday to finalize some specifics of the contract that was not resolved after six hours of discussions at the Alario Center. Initially, Young said Paul would decide between a four or five year deal. But three years with the player option is the same maximum money contract deal that Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James agreed upon in 2006.

Signing Paul to an extension was the biggest uncertainty the Hornets had heading into the free-agency period. With his contract now finalized, it could be the move to jumpstart the Hornets' pursuit to sign a shooting guard in free agency.

With discussions lasting more than six hours on Wednesday at the Alario Center, a contract extension for Chris Paul still had not been finalized.

But Paul's agent, Lance Young, said they planned to resume talks later on Wednesday night to see if they can get it wrapped up. Paul arrived at the Alario Center early Wednesday morning, but left abruptly in his SUV from the players' private parking lot after sitting in on discussions for nearly two hours.

The Hornets and Paul agreed in principle on a contract extension Tuesday for either four or five years that range from $60 million to $80 million, but Young said it would take the next 24 to 48 to get the deal finalized once he arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday.

"We felt like it went well,'' Young said after his meeting with Bower. "We'll talk to Jeff later on tonight or tomorrow to see if we can get it wrapped up sometime soon. We're all on the same page.''

Young said he was unsure if he would have to remain in New Orleans on Thursday to resume discussions. By NBA rules, Paul cannot sign the deal until July 9.

O. Perry Walker forward Colby Carr has committed to the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Carr, a 6-foot-2 senior, averaged 15 points last season for O. Perry Walker, which lost to Helen Cox in the Class 4A state championship game. He scored 18 points and had seven rebounds in O. Perry Walker's 58-45 victory against Salmen in a Class 4A semifinal game.

Agent Mark Bartelstein said he had brief discussions with the Hornets on Tuesday regarding Boston Celtics free agent James Posey.

"We talked, but there are several teams interested in James,'' Bartelstein said.

The Hornets are seeking a shooting guard and Posey is one of the top available free agents.

Continue reading "Hornets express interest in Posey" »

The Saints didn't have to search far to find a pair of offensive linemen to fill out their training camp roster. They signed center Rob Hunt and guard Isaiah Ross from the VooDoo on Tuesday.

To make room, the Saints released linemen Carnell Stewart and Marquay Love.

Continue reading "Saints sign two VooDoo linemen" »

The Saints didn't have to search far to find a pair of offensive linemen to fill out their training camp roster. They signed center Rob Hunt and guard Isaiah Ross from the VooDoo on Tuesday.

To make room, the Saints released linemen Carnell Stewart and Marquay Love.

Continue reading "Saints sign two VooDoo linemen" »

The New York Mets have called up right-handed starting pitcher Tony Armas, and right-hander Claudio Vargas has cleared waivers and will rejoin the New Orleans Zephyrs, it was announced Tuesday.

Armas, 30, was leading the Pacific Coast League in several categories, including ERA (2.54), innings pitched (102.2), and WHIP (1.02), and ranked third with 88 strikeouts. He made 10 consecutive quality starts from April 25-June 13, and did not allow more than three runs in any of his first 14 starts.

Armas is scheduled to start the Mets' game Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. Continue reading "Zephyrs P Armas Called Up to Mets; Vargas Returns" »

The Hornets accomplished their biggest priority of the offseason Tuesday, agreeing in principle on a contract extension with All-Star point guard Chris Paul. The deal, which will be either four or five years and range from $60 million to $80 million, is expected to be finalized by Thursday.

Paul's agent, Lance Young, said he will arrive in New Orleans today to work out details of the contract with Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower. By NBA rules, Paul cannot sign the deal until July 9.

"We're going to try and get it done in the next 24 to 48 hours once I get down there," Young said. "I think if you go back and look, there is nobody who did a three-year deal of all the max deals done in the last few years. I would say three years is not what he is going to do. It will be a four- or a five-year deal."

Continue reading "Hornets, Paul agree to new deal" »

Almost 20 years after he played his final game at UNO, Gabe Corchiani remains the school's assists leader.

And now, Corchiani is giving his alma mater a helping hand in another way -- joining with business partner John Georges to make a $1 million donation to the Privateers' men's basketball program.

The donation, spread over five years, is the largest in school history for any sport. The official announcement will be made today at which time it will also be announced that the floor at Lakefront Arena will be renamed "Corchiani Court."

Continue reading "UNO basketball getting big assist" »

Former New Orleans Hornets guard Baron Davis is the latest (and perhaps biggest) name to head for free agency this offseason, as he opted out of the final year of his contract with the Golden State Warriors last night (as reported by The Associated Press).

Davis joins a list of free agent players that has continued to grow more and more impressive as the hours ticked by. Two big-name Clippers, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, are also opting for free agency and should demand major attention on the market. They join such players as James Posey, Brent Barry and Chris Duhan as possible players the Hornets could pursue once free agency kicks off, though admittedly, Brand and Maggette may command too much money to be realistic options.

Regardless, given the Hornets' passing on the NBA Draft, and given some of the names shaking loose across the league, the upcoming free agency period is shaping up to be an exciting one.

Sometimes even those of us who scour the web for news on an hourly basis still miss the occasional blurb. I was faced with that reality again today, when I stumbled upon this interesting photograph from The Associated Press ... dated June 16.

Nevertheless, seeing that most everyone on the planet seemingly missed the story, and also knowing that your average Saints fan has the appetite for Saints content rivaling mine in front of a plate of burritos, I thought I'd share.

According to the AP, New Orleans Saints safety Kevin Kaesviharn took part in a football clinic for children in Bangkok earler this month. The clinic was part of a series of activities meant to celebrate 175 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Thailand.

Continue reading "Kaesviharn not taking it easy in the offseason" »

The sporting gods delivered a welcoming gift last month to LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva, who departed Duke University and assumes his new duties in Baton Rouge today.

He was asked to cheer against North Carolina.

"That's just second nature," Alleva said, after attending the opening games of the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., in which the Tigers lost to the Tar Heels in the first game and then 7-3 in an elimination game.

Continue reading "New LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva ready to get started" »

If Derrick Rose turns out to be the point guard that scouts and fans believe he can be, the Chicago Bulls are the clear winner of the 2008 NBA draft.

The Bulls, who selected Rose with the first pick Thursday night, will quickly surge to the top of the Eastern Conference, and they should have numerous conference finals appearances in their future.

But if Rose is not that once-in-a-lifetime guard, plenty of other teams might have won Thursday night.

Continue reading "A closer look at the NBA Draft" »

Former Tulane record-setting quarterback Shaun King has only one regret from his playing days with the Green Wave. He wishes he and teammates on the 1998 team that went undefeated and captured the Conference USA title were playing under the current NCAA system and given an opportunity to play in a BCS bowl game.

Instead, the Green Wave finished its 12-0 campaign with a decisive 41-27 win against Brigham Young in the Liberty Bowl and were left with thoughts of what could have been.

Continue reading "Wave's undefeated team bound for TU Hall" »

General Manager Jeff Bower said the Hornets explored acquiring a second-round pick Thursday night after trading the draft rights of Darrell Arthur to the Portland Trail Blazers but were unsuccessful.

Unlike the first round, the contract of a second-round pick is not guaranteed until the player makes the active roster before the start of the regular season. If the Hornets had not traded Arthur, a 6-foot-9 forward from Kansas, they would have been required to extend him a guaranteed two-year contract.

Continue reading "What's next for the Hornets?" »

Cody Ledford, a linebacker from North Florida Christian School in Tallahassee, has commited to Tulane.

Ledford, 6-0, 215, recorded 184 tackles last season, 30 for losses, seven sacks and two interceptions. He has run 4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

1.) 1910 New Orleans Pelicans (87-53) - won Southern Association

Okay, so winning the "Southern Association" in modern terms equates to roughly a recreation-league softball title, but it is still a championship ... and that is more than most of the teams in the history of this city can say.

The final analysis comes down to not only team success (which the Pelicans definitely achieved for an extended period of time - 10 championships over a 48-year period), but also to star power, and the 1910 version of the Pelicans had perhaps the greatest star in New Orleans sports history: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson.

Ty Cobb once called him "the greatest natural hitter baseball has ever seen," and it's hard to argue with that. As a MLB rookie in 1911 (a year after departing the Pelicans), Jackson set a rookie record by batting .408. Jackson also left the majors third in all-time batting average (.356) and he batted .340 or better for eight of his 13 seasons.

Continue reading "Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 1" »

Deron Wilson, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior cornerback at O. Perry Walker, has committed to play for the University of Southern Mississippi.

Wilson, who had five interceptions for the Chargers last year, said he chose Southern Mississippi over an offer from Kansas State because he liked the coaching staff and wanted to stay close to home.

With so much going on in the New Orleans sports community, it's easy to lose sight of things.

That's where NOLA.com comes in. David Gladow offers a weekend preview of sorts every Friday at noon in the form of a live chat with the New Orleans community.

Want to talk about the Saints' latest moves or the upcoming VooDoo game? Want to vent your frustrations over the Hornets playcalling? This is your time to sound off. Send in your questions and comments, and Dave will touch on your hot topics every week.

Continue reading "Live Chat: Friday sports talk" »

American football might not be the national game of England, but it is becoming more popular.

On Friday, the 15,000 tickets available in the second general admission sale for the NFL regular-season game at Wembley Stadium sold out in 30 minutes.

Last month, the first 40,000 tickets for the Oct. 26 game between the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints were sold in 90 minutes.

Continue reading "Saints London game a hot ticket" »

2.) 2006 New Orleans Saints (10-6) - lost third round

For most folks, this selection pretty much speaks for itself.

The 2006 New Orleans Saints didn't overachieve so much as they took advantage of the circumstances around them. A weak conference? Check. A light schedule? Check. A couple of key offseason additions (Drew Brees and Reggie Bush)? Check. The biggest wave of momentum imaginable? Check.

You can probably argue this point to the end of time, but nevertheless, our opinion says you have to give this team credit for taking advantage of the perfect storm brewing in front of them and riding the momentum all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

Not every team is going to rise to the occasion like the Saints did.

Continue reading "Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 2" »

Darrell Arthur wore a Hornets cap immediately after he was selected during Thursday night's NBA draft, but he eventually had to exchange it.

As expected, the Hornets completed a draft-day trade, selecting the Kansas forward Darrell Arthur with the 27th pick before trading his draft rights to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash considerations that could total up to $3 million.

Continue reading "Hornets select Arthur on behalf of Blazers" »

LaDainian Tomlinson. Adrian Peterson. Brian Westbrook. Steven Jackson.

They are unquestionably the top four running backs in the world of Fantasy Football, although not necessarily in that order. The big question is who is the next best running back?

Here are my candidates for that fifth spot, in alphabetical order:

Continue reading "Come in, No. 5" »

Former LSU forward Anthony Randolph is selected No. 14 by the Golden State Warriors

New Orleans local D.J. Augustin is selected No. 9 by the Charlotte Bobcats

Continue reading "Pick-by-pick look at the NBA Draft" »

3.) 1998 New Orleans Zephyrs (76-66) - won Triple-A World Series

There aren't a whole lot of championships in New Orleans sports history. Heck, in this list, which is supposed to collect the greatest teams in the city's history, only one team to this point even has what one might consider a true national championship (1959 Tulane men's tennis). Sure, you've got a couple of division/conference championships thrown in for good measure, but actual league titles are few and far between.

It's into that void that the 1998 New Orleans Zephyrs step.

Behind a Herculean effort from future Major League All-Star Lance Berkman, the '98 Zephyrs nabbed that elusive title for the city ... and thereby cemented their place among the best teams New Orleans has ever seen.

Continue reading "Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 3" »

At the conclusion of the University of Kentucky summer football camp last week, brothers Jarvis and Myron Walker of Rummel received scholarship offers from the Wildcats.

And they accepted.

Continue reading "Rummel brothers commit to Kentucky" »

4.) 2007-08 New Orleans Hornets (56-26) - lost second round

The team that inspired this list in the first place, the 2007-08 New Orleans Hornets, checks in at No. 4. And while that may seem high for a team that couldn't even reach its conference finals, it's the quality of the team itself (in addition to its accomplishments) that merits such a high ranking.

Ask yourself this: Have any teams in the history of this city had as much star power as last year's Hornets? Perhaps a couple, but not many.

Point guard Chris Paul turned himself into a legitimate MVP candidate almost overnight, dominating the league like few guards before him. Forward David West joined him on the All-Star team (along with head coach Byron Scott). Peja Stojakovic. Tyson Chandler. The names were big, and perhaps most importantly, they all delivered.

Continue reading "Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 4" »

Resist the urge to buy into the company line until you see what the company lines up and buys.

Resist it until after the NBA's free-agency period is complete. Because only after then will we know whether the Hornets' trade with Portland was a good one, or whether No. 27 should have been kept.

Continue reading "DeShazier: Trade offers a faster road to improvement" »

5.) 1934 Tulane football (10-1) - won Sugar Bowl

Back in the 1930s, bowl game invitations weren't exactly handed out like candy like they are today. Only a few games even existed, and the ones that did still hold a certain level of prestige today (Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Sun Bowl, etc.).

It was in that kind of environment that the 1934 Tulane Green Wave football team powered itself to a Sugar Bowl invitation -- and an eventual win over Temple - in posting a 10-win season in the SEC.

That's nothing to sneeze at. (Just ask LSU.)

A perfect 7-0 conference mark may have been one of the team's most impressive feats (though that came courtesy of no match-up with co-champ Alabama), and the season really couldn't be classified as a fluke either ... Tulane was already in the habit of posting winning seasons.

Continue reading "Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 5" »

With a desire to obtain veteran help to improve their bench, the Hornets are awaiting league approval today for a trade deal that would send their 27th pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash considerations.

In his explanation of why the Hornets decided to get involved in trade discussions, General Manager Jeff Bower said it usually takes up to three years for a low first-round draft pick to make an impact.

Continue reading "Hornets GM says trade needs NBA approval" »

6.) 1992 New Orleans Saints (12-4) - lost first round

Is it the best defense the Saints have ever fielded? Probably not. Is it the best offense? Again, no. But as far as complete teams go, it's hard to argue against what the New Orleans Saints put on the field in 1992 ... and that team posted a franchise-record 12 wins.

Of course it's easy to see why that happened, given the absurdly talented defense the Saints fielded. Leading the league in sacks (57) and pass defense (154.4 yards per game), the Saints sent three linebackers to the Pro Bowl in Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swilling and Sam Mills (the fourth, Rickey Jackson, tallied a mere 14 sacks). No slouch against the run either (No. 7 in the NFL), New Orleans set a franchise record by allowing only 202 points during the season.

To put it bluntly, the defense (like many of the Saints defenses of the era), verged on the edge of dominance.

Continue reading "Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 6" »

Continue reading "Saints chat with beat writer Mike Triplett" »