Says Marc Stein: "Acquiring Bayless from Portland did nudge New Orleans into luxury-tax territory, but the Hornets have three players on contracts that don't become fully guaranteed until January (Joe Alexander, D.J. Mbenga and Pops Mensah-Bonsu) and would likely reach safety by letting two of those guys go in the event no further trades materialize that take them beneath the tax threshold." Dell Demps: Still doing it.