Hornets add Jackson, Johnson

OKLAHOMA CITY — The New Orleans Hornets added frontcourt depth Thursday by acquiring forwards Marc Jackson and Linton Johnson III from the New Jersey Nets for forward Bostjan Nachbar.

"Both of them are physical. Both of them are aggressive," Hornets coach Byron Scott said by telephone. "It just gives us a different look."

The Hornets had been looking to add depth in the frontcourt even before forward Chris Andersen was disqualified from the NBA last month for violating the league's drug policy. They got even more needy when former Viewmont star Jackson Vroman broke his right wrist Wednesday following a dunk against Utah.

The Nets, meanwhile, were able to create some salary space with the deal.

"This enables us to get under the luxury tax, which was part of it," team president Rod Thorn said. "Nachbar's a good athlete who has had some moments in the league. We're hopeful he can give us some help on our bench."

Jackson, a 6-foot-10 forward, was averaging 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 37 games off the bench for New Jersey. In six NBA seasons, he is averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds.

Jackson had publicly hinted at wanting to be traded in December, and his minutes had dropped steadily since January to the point where he appeared in only five of the team's 13 games in February.

"Marc Jackson is a banger, a very physical guy who can make shots," Scott said.

Jackson, 31, averaged 12 points and 5.0 rebounds in 81 games, including 23 starts, for Philadelphia last season.

"I don't think we can hope for that much. He'll be playing in a backup role here," Scott said.

Johnson, a 6-8 forward, has played in only nine games for the Nets, averaging 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds in 3.9 minutes. He and Jackson join veteran forward Aaron Williams, who was acquired from the Toronto Raptors last month, as the backups to David West and P.J. Brown.

Johnson played college basketball at Tulane, but got his break with Chicago in 2003 after winning a 1-on-1 streetball tournament held by former Bulls guard Randy Brown.

"I think he's in the development stages of his career right now, but I think he's got the athletic tools that you need to be successful and he's got the mentality and attitude that you need to be successful," Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said.