Former Pitt center Aaron Gray has decided to decline his player option of $1.1 million for next season with the New Orleans Hornets. Gray apparently figures he's worth more than that and hopes to sign a more lucrative deal.
↵Still, it doesn't sound as if he's ruling out a return to New Orleans - merely keeping his options open:
↵↵↵"I think he really enjoyed being with New Orleans, the opportunity to come free made it a good time to explore the market for him," said Jason Zanik, one of Gray's representatives, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. ⇥⇥ ⇥ The Times-Picayune
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The move makes perfect sense, when you think about it. Gray is a quality backup and legitimate seven-foot center and there's no reason not to explore options at this point. It's a pretty safe bet that he will be able to make more money than that, even as a backup. There will always be a home for him as long as he can get up and down a court because big men are hard to find. Plus, he's actually not bad in the post when he gets touches and should have a long NBA career.