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May 21, 2008
Should Bobcats trade 1st-round pick again?
I keep hearing suggestions from readers that the Charlotte Bobcats should do what they did last season, and trade their first-round pick for an impact veteran.
I’m totally with you that those options should be explored. But it’s considerably harder for the Bobcats to make such a deal now than it was when they acquired Jason Richardson 11 months ago on draft night.
It’s about money.
The Bobcats acquired Richardson from Golden State and Nazr Mohammed from the Detroit Pistons in deals that bargained away much of their room under the salary cap.
The Warriors’ and Pistons’ incentive in those deals was clearing up their payrolls; Golden State freed themselves from Richardson’s $11 million-plus salary and Detroit swapped Mohammed’s $5 million-plus salary for expiring contracts (Primoz Brezec and Walter Herrmann).
The Bobcats aren’t capped out this off-season, but they certainly don’t have the flexibility they once did to absorb a huge contract. That will limit the ways they could turn the ninth pick into a veteran rotation player.
Posted by Observer Sports on May 21, 2008 at 05:41 PM | Permalink
Comments
Just draft the best player available. Our roster will look like allstars compared to last year due to the fact that Vincent isn't coaching.
Posted by: BroD | May 21, 2008 5:50:15 PM
What are you talking about? Who needs an impact veteran when we have Nazr Mohammed? He gets like $7 mil a year, so isn't he really good?
Posted by: Michael Procton | May 21, 2008 6:26:23 PM
This team will be Playoff Caliber with the Impact Coach they got. No need to aquire another Veteran player, get a young guy who has a nitch for playing Defense and he will do well coming off the bench in Larry Brown's run team.
I would guess there is more of a chance that Adam Morrison will be traded then the #9 pick. Or who knows, maybe they will both be traded for a decent PG.
Posted by: Joe Blow | May 21, 2008 6:46:27 PM
Bobcats & Denver . Could work out a package deal together . Bring Carmelo in as Bobcat player .
Posted by: bobcats3 | May 21, 2008 6:54:14 PM
Yes, trade it.
Even though I'm slightly warming to the idea of drafting Augustin/Randolph/Jordan.
But I'd rather have a proven NBA player than draft some unproven guy, especially considering how poorly most of our drafts have gone.
Posted by: Will | May 21, 2008 7:31:33 PM
HAHAHAHA!!! Procton made a funny!!!
Posted by: Eric | May 21, 2008 9:15:02 PM
Why is it that people think Denver would trade Melo? You probably could trade Okafor (if he inks a new deal), J-Rich, and the pick for Melo, but that might not be enough. Melo is 1 of the top 10-15 players in the game, and J-Rich might be our highest rated player around 40th best...
Get some new talent with the pick, let Larry Brown choose that player and hope that player doesn't play at UNC (if we draft Lawson I will never watch another Bobcats game, seriously). Maybe Kevin Love, maybe Augustine, but someone who doesn't collect a paycheck and then get hurt for the year or years, i.e. Morrison and May.
Come to think of it, trade AMMO and release that fat tub of lard and POOF, you have cap room to go after a free agent and Re-sign Okafor (who is still the best, consistent, and MVP the Bobcats have ever had).
Posted by: whitemiket | May 21, 2008 9:31:28 PM
I mentioned earlier today how the Nets and Nuggets are rumored to be talking about swapping for 'Melo. I do think quite a few trades will go down on draft night, and if one does go down for a stud like 'Melo it often takes a third team to facilitate all the players and contracts being swapped. While we have less cap room than previous years, we are still better off than most and could take on some guys. If the Nuggets do deal 'Melo and I'm the Bobcats, I would try and get in the mix and grab a guy like Nene. He would fit in nicely, in my opinion, and could probably be had for cheap...maybe we could fool the Nets into wanting May again...or mabe even Morrisson this time. Speaking of Morrisson, I am not high on Kevin Love, and he reminds me of Morrisson. The last thing we need is an unathletic body who is fundamentally sound, and can shoot, but looks like he is better off taking it to guys on the courts at the YMCA. Nobody can tell me that after watching Love they have said to themselves, that looks like an NBA caliber player. He is very talented, but I think he is going to get abused and overwhelmed by the physical specimens in this league. I would love for someone to name the last unathletic player who was successful in the NBA...Robert "tractor" Traylor?...God please don't let Kevin Love be the next Tractor Traylor.
Posted by: go'cats | May 21, 2008 10:07:29 PM
I'm with you whitemiket, May has over stayed his welcome and I could live without Morrison, we've already got a 6th man in Dudley. I'm not sure how Morrison fits into the lineup next season otherwise.
Posted by: TheMike | May 21, 2008 10:08:33 PM
Can they trade the pick? Since they traded their No.1 last season, would this fall under the Ted Stepien rule? Or is it since they actually picked a player, and then traded his rights, it doesn't count?
Taking on Nazr Mohammed's contract really put the clamps on anything happening.
The last unathletic successful player in the NBA? I guess you have to define successful. I wouldn't call Larry Bird or Kevin McHale athletic, but that was a different league. I wouldn't say the Tim Duncan is a supreme athlete either, as he is a technician more than a jump out of the gym athlete. No, I am not saying that Love is any of those guys, but he is clearly more fundamentally sound than a lot of the guys in this draft, and the Bobcats are lacking in sound bigs. It is a risk though...he could be Raphael Araujo.
Posted by: George | May 21, 2008 10:53:55 PM
The bobcats should trade Gerald Wallace for Mike Conley because they have three point guards and then they should try to get Kevin Love or Darell Arthur. Move Adam Morrison to Small Forward. A line up of Mike Conley, Richardson, Kevin Love, Adam Morrison and Okafor is good enough to make a run at the playoffs.
Posted by: Boywonder | May 21, 2008 11:05:12 PM
HAHAHA! You have to be joking! Any starting five involving Morrison would not even come close to being efficient. The guy is a defensive liability, and the only thing he had going for him was he was a pure shooter, too bad he shoots an abysmal 37% from the floor and 33% from three! What a joke!
Posted by: go'cats | May 21, 2008 11:09:01 PM
Statistically, Jason Richardson was easily in the NBA's top 15 this year. I don't know where you're coming up with #40, but he's WAY better than that.
Also, I'll note that Adam Morrison's injury came as a result of trying to play the game, rather than someone like Sean May, whose injury came as a result of eating too much.
As for top NBA players who are unathletic, how about Tim Duncan, Hedo Turkoglu, and Mike Dunleavy. All were top 30 this year, and I think Andy Bogut and Emmy Okafor would fit the bill, too (both be ok players as double-double centers.)
Posted by: Michael Procton | May 21, 2008 11:44:39 PM
Oh, and how funny, that the player who g'c labels as inefficient shoots basically as well as Felton does.
Posted by: Michael Procton | May 21, 2008 11:45:23 PM
Too bad every single time I have shown Felton love I have mentioned limiting his shots. I know he isn't a great shooter, and I mentioned how he doesn't compare to D-Will and CP3 in that regard. He can pass the ball and run the offense effectively, limit his shots, which Larry Brown will do, and he becomes extremely efficient. How funny you pick and choose what you read, Procton. Morrison is supposed to be a pure shooter, as I stated, and is anything but. Learn to read.
Posted by: go'cats | May 21, 2008 11:54:43 PM
i think melo is not player of larry brown.. remember in olympics>>..
Posted by: lancer | May 22, 2008 12:18:49 AM
I agree with most of you in trading some baggage. But May is cheap he only costs 1.2M. Morrison is cheaper than Carrol by 2m a year. Carrol got more exposure last year and his stock moved up so trade Carrol and give Morrison a season after surgery to boost his stock. None of these players start so free up more cap space with your backups for another 1st rounder. Trade Morrison and or Carrol plus 2nd round pick. Hibbert is expected to be late teens or early 20's. Use 9 to get Bayless and use later 1st rounder to get Hibbert. All we need is some more cap space for a Larry Brown future trade, a tall center who can rebound and block shots, and a combo backup guard. Felton, J-Rich, G-Wall, Okafur, Hibbert. Backups: Bayless, May, Nazr, Dudley. Deep Larry Brown type of team and easily achieved.
Posted by: tarpanthercat | May 22, 2008 12:21:18 AM
We need a true center, one way or the other. Okafor is more effective as a 4, which is his natural position. The one thing that we have never had is a dominating presence in the middle (unless you count Primoz)joke. Muhammed is a solid back up though. I don't think Hibbert is the right guy, he is soft and that guy dissapeared in the tournament. FA would deliver the fastest results for our missing link.
And all the talk about Carroll and Morrison...package Morrison and keep Carroll. Quality programs value guys like Carroll which is one of the reasons the Spurs almost signed him last summer. Yeah we probably paid alittle too much, but for a guy who is reliable and can knock it down(not Morrison) it's worth it.
In the Draft, if we go big first I like Jordan even though I don't think he will be there at 9. I also like Westbrook as well for a PG. In the 2nd, I think Dorsey would be a steal and could be the bruiser that we need inside though he is a bit undersized.
Posted by: rhackney | May 22, 2008 1:44:23 AM
Emeka Okafor is a natural PF in 1988. In 2008, his game is more suited to the Center position. He does not have the face up capabilities to play PF offensively. And defensively, moving him to PF would leave him vulnerable to the quickness of modern day forwards while also pulling him away from the basket and neutralizing one of his greatest strengths, his helpside shotblocking. Finally, playing Okafor at the 4 leaves us with an even poorer jumpshooting team, which is death in the non-illegal defense NBA.
Posted by: jperry | May 22, 2008 1:51:10 AM
If we're "remembering in Olympics", Okafor didn't even hit a basket.
TPC, you're dead wrong. May is already locked in at $2.6 mil for next year (guaranteed.rr)
Posted by: Michael Procton | May 22, 2008 1:55:50 AM
What made the Primo/Okafor combo work when Primo was healthy was the fact that Primo did very little in the lane. He was a pick and pop player who reduced the help on Okafor in the lane, while giving Brevin the end of clock pick and pop option that was heavily used. This again, illustrates why the need is not another lane clogger, but a guy who can help pull others out of the lane at PF. Folks can continue to ignore it if they choose, but the evidence is all over the place.
Posted by: jperry | May 22, 2008 1:56:02 AM
jperry..your focusing on the the offinsive side of the ball. Where we need the most help is in the lane on D. We continue to be dominated inside and until we get improved help, it will not stop. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a Dirk or a KG, but we have to make due with what we have. You can say Okafor is a Center, but he gets dominated and needs help one way or another. He is long enough at the 4 to be able to defend and still contribute offensively. If we are going to keep him, move him to the 4, if not, let him sign elsewhere and then pay $$$ for a guy that will be a beast on the offensive AND defensive side of the ball.
Posted by: rhackney | May 22, 2008 2:50:05 AM
Actually, we need help offensively as well as defensively in the form of a PF. Furthermore, an efficient offense often helps your defense as it limits transition opportunities that come from misses and turnovers.
We have no Modern Day NBA PF. Okafor has a center's game in an old school bulky PF's body. It's a bad combination in the current NBA game that requires big guys hedging and recovering, stepping out on shooters, and being able to defend the perimeter. That is the DEFENSIVE issue with Okafor at PF. Further, it pulls him OUT of the lane, killing our defense in the lane even more. There are no positives to Okafor defensively at PF, and the offensive positives aren't any greater. He needs a PF who can spread the floor and limit the help on him, as well as a guy who can defend the more mobile and face up PFs in today's game.
Finally, who the heck asked for a Dirk or a KG? I simply have advocated for moving out of the early 1990s and getting a PF with some offensive versatility to help our halfcourt offense by spreading and spacing the floor. You have to be able to shoot if you want to advance in today's NBA game. Defense is very important, but defense without the ability to shoot will provide limited success in the current NBA. This isn't the Jeff Van Gundy era anymore.
Posted by: jperry | May 22, 2008 3:35:29 AM
I'd rather we held on to the pick. The draft is deep this year and im liking picking Anthony Randolph more and more.
We do need to get rid of Morrison and May though. Morrison doesn't really have a place on this team, Dudley will play over him and Matt Carrol is a better shooter. May is just well another example of why the Big Mac diet doesn't work.
Posted by: ND | May 22, 2008 7:48:29 AM
what about trading the pick to move up in the draft the way we got Mek?
Posted by: apauldds | May 22, 2008 8:11:38 AM
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