Trade Winds Arise After Clippers Lose : Pro basketball: They are defeated by the Hornets, 115-101. Baylor said to seek a roster change after the team’s ninth loss in 13 games.

The Clippers’ disastrous trip, which continued Friday night with a 115-101 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, might damage more than their record.

Sources who declined to be identified said that management, frustrated by the lack of intensity and continued poor play, has decided to aggressively pursue a trade. The Clippers have lost four in a row and nine of 13 to slip to 16-16.

“If they’re not going to get it done, we’re going to have to try to find someone who can,” one source said.

There is hesitation to make another move after bringing in seven new players during the summer. Another roadblock is the salary cap and the contract status of several current players. For instance, if the Clippers decided to trade Ken Norman, getting full value would be almost impossible because he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

General Manager Elgin Baylor has contacted nearly every team about a trade, but nothing has developed. Most organizations are waiting until the trading deadline nears in late February.

The Clippers, however, having seen a promising start erased, want to act now.

“That’s accurate,” one source said.

Baylor declined to comment, other than supporting the previously stated views of Coach Larry Brown that effort and intensity have been lacking.

It was supposed to be different before 23,698 at Charlotte Coliseum in the wake of Wednesday’s players-only postgame meeting at Detroit. But the Clippers fell behind by 11 points during the first quarter, by 19 during the second and, finally, by 89-62 with 2:09 to play in the third quarter. That marked the third consecutive game they have trailed by at least 22 points.

“We only did one thing we talked about at the meeting,” Norman said, declining to say what that was. “We’re all talk, no action.”

Added Stanley Roberts, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds: “The meeting was serious. Unfortunately, I guess some of the guys did not take it too seriously.”

And about that get-together that had originally been portrayed as positive and a pep talk? Maybe not.

“Blunt,” said Ron Harper, one of the captains. “Nasty. Rude. Disgusting. Frustrating.”

Brown did not fault the effort this time. The major factor, he said, was that the Hornets shot 73.7% (14 of 19) during the first quarter and 60.5% (26 of 43) during the first half. That was good for a 62-45 lead, with Kendall Gill scoring 20 points, again forcing the Clippers to stage a late comeback.

That came with an 18-2 run at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth, pulling the Clippers within 93-82. They cut the deficit to 10 with 9:43 remaining, but got no closer.

The Hornets (16-14) finished at 54.9%, with Gill getting 24 points, Muggsy Bogues 17 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds, and Alonzo Mourning 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Danny Manning’s 19 points led the Clippers in scoring for the fifth time in seven games.

Clipper Notes

Gary Grant became the Clippers’ all-time assist leader, passing Norm Nixon and moving into second place on the franchise list behind Randy Smith. “It shows I’m in this league and that I will have something to look back on no matter what happens,” said Grant, who has 2,208 assists in 4 1/2 seasons. “It’s a great feeling.” Nixon had 2,201 in four years, with two other seasons wiped out by injury. Smith, who played parts of two seasons with the San Diego Clippers and seven with the Buffalo Braves, is at 3,498. . . . The Clippers are off today before concluding the six-game trip Sunday at Milwaukee.