Feb. 23, 2011
KINGS PAGEKINGS VIDEO
CSNBayArea.comSACRAMENTOThe Kings acquired second-year guard Marcus Thornton from the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday in exchange for reserve forward Carl Landry.
Sacramento also receives cash in the deal, which comes one day before the NBAs trade deadline.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Thornton, 23, was originally a second-round pick of Miami in 2009. He was a pleasant surprise for New Orleans as a rookie, averaging 14.5 points on 45 percent shooting. However, his numbers have dipped this season to 7.8 ppg on 41 percent shooting. His minutes also have dropped, from 25:36 as a rookie to 16:11 this season.
The 6-foot-4 Thornton has shot roughly 37 percent from 3-point range in each of his first two seasons.
Were excited about acquiring Marcus Thornton, Kings president Geoff Petrie said in a statement. He brings a scorers mentality to our team and will certainly add an offensive threat to the backcourt with his ability to shoot from the perimeter. I think hell improve the look of our team offensively and were really excited about having him in Sacramento.
Landry had appeared in 53 games for the Kings this season, starting 16 (though none of those starts came this calendar year). He averaged 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in about 26 minutes per game. The 27-year-old forward was acquired from the Rockets at last seasons trade deadline. He averaged a career-high 16.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 2009-10.
I also want to thank Carl for his contribution here, Petrie said in his statement, and wish him well in New Orleans.