Marcus Thornton wants to win starting spot

John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports:

Marcus Thornton wants to win starting spot

When the New Orleans Hornets traded veteran Morris Peterson to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, along with the draft rights to Kansas center Cole Aldrich for the draft rights to forwards Craig Brackins and Quicy Pondexter, it virtually cleared the way for second-year shooting guard Marcus Thornton to enter next season as the starter.

But Thornton said Friday that his approach won’t change from last season, when he came off the bench. He plans to stay driven and anticipates battling to win the job in training camp.

“Until I find out that I’m starting, I’m going to push like I’m still second string,’’ Thornton said Friday. ”I’m going to work and do what I’ve been doing.’’

With a need to clear salary-cap space, the Hornets dealt Peterson, eliminating the $6.6 million salary they would had been required to pay him this season in the final year of his four-year contract.