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July 25, 2008
Getting fair value for Okafor in sign-and-trade could be difficult
I had an interview with Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins Friday, and the most enlightening thing he said was how difficult it would be to get fair value for Emeka Okafor in a sign-and-trade. Higgins mentioned how the base-year compensation rule gets in the way (the Bobcats could take back roughly half of what Okafor’s new salary-cap number would be.) Also, it’s never easy to swap a young big man for a comparable part. Translation: The Bobcats don’t want to be cornered into giving up Okafor in sign-and-trade. So maybe it’s possible they’ll just wait for Okafor to sign the one-year qualifying offer and see how this evolves. There would still be opportunities to get something for Okafor, whether at the trade deadline in February or next summer. They’d lose some protection once Okafor becomes an unrestricted free agent (as the Clippers did with Elton Brand and the Warriors did with Baron Davis), but working with the Bobcats on a sign-and-trade NEXT summer could still be the best way to maximize what Okafor makes in a long-term deal. The question becomes how Okafor would respond to being a short-timer in Charlotte RICK BONNELL
Posted by Observer Sports on July 25, 2008 at 06:08 PM | Permalink
Comments
"So maybe it’s possible they’ll just wait for Okafor to sign the one-year qualifying offer and see how this evolves."
From your article it didn't sound like Higgins was too fond of going the QO route either.
The BYC issue would still be in affect even after he signs the QO because the receiving team would only take him in a new deal (no one would give up talent for just a half season, any offers then would be worse than now).
BYC is always going to be in effect until we can clear capspace to absorb the difference, and that's not til next year.
Posted by: spectre | Jul 25, 2008 6:52:40 PM
I don't necessarily agree with you that a team would only be interested in acquiring Okafor if he's already locked up in a long-term contract. But if you're saying there might not be any GOOD way to resolve this situation, you're right.
Posted by: rick bonnell | Jul 25, 2008 7:13:44 PM
Pretty much.
Getting a contract signed (assuming Mek does want to remain with the team) is obviously in the Bobcats' best interests. They have to see what's available and most all possibilities are inferior to the status quo. Even if they have to pay him Bogut money (same as last year with more incentives, right?) it's still the best value.
My call is they blink and give him the contract. I just hope it's sooner rather than later; the team doesn't need the distraction.
Posted by: spectre | Jul 25, 2008 7:29:45 PM
Trade the racist owner and ignorant front office, yeah you mj, along with all of the players to Seattle. In exchange we will take? Oh what the hell just take them , we tax payers have given them everything they begged for and the racist owner still bitches. GOOD BYE
Posted by: this/team/and/owner/is/crap | Jul 25, 2008 7:35:53 PM
I cannot wait until Bob Johnson sells this team! New owner, new GM, NEW NAME and then we are off to a good start.
Posted by: Wants the Best | Jul 25, 2008 11:20:25 PM
I wont sell the team...he'll move it to Vegas. This dude didnt become billionaire by making bad moves. Thats why he dont care what you hillbillies think
Posted by: big | Jul 26, 2008 12:46:43 AM
There is a lot of focus on D. J. Augustin's lack of size, but isn't he the same size as Chris Paul?
Posted by: Bob | Jul 26, 2008 2:14:31 AM
He is small and no where the talent at CP3. There is absolutely no reason to compare the two. I thought this died a couple weeks after the draft...
Posted by: bonnell=procton | Jul 26, 2008 11:08:13 AM
I think he's probably more small like Damon Stoudamire. Not a bad player by any means but not a franchise point guard, although I hope I'm underestimating him.
Good news at this point is that it seems more than likely that 'Mek will be a Bobcat next season. And if we stink it up again next season (likely that we will) we could see a sign and trade that delivers young talent and picks at the deadline. But we won't, at any time it seems, be able to return equal value (especially with the way this team drafts).
Bottom line is, MJ and the front office need to get the hell over themselves, grovel, beg and plead for Okafor's forgiveness and give the man the contract he wants, otherwise it sets this franchise back in what little progress has been made the last four seasons.
Posted by: BustaCat | Jul 26, 2008 11:46:25 AM
in the event two teams are in a impass with RFA like okafor, is it possible two teams could work on behalf of each other to gets some resolution for players and fans. hard to say what is in okafor's head, but circumstances have point him in the direction out of charlotte, but others in the NBA dont see him as valuable to them as charlotte sees him to them. so signing an offer sheet looks like its not gonna happen. looks like the same rule applies in philly, where AI2 is seen as very valuable to them, but not the same is thought out of philly, thus no offer sheets for him have shown up yet either. this being the stalemate, lets work on options of contract talk combined with philly and get AI2 signed and shipped here and they can have okafor working on his numbers here to get him there. gets similar numbers to match and it could work, how about 4 to 5 years at 54 to 56 mill for each? then we can ship an adam morrison or sean may with a couple mill each and 1 to 2 years left and we can get back mareese speights rookie contract as a couple mill for 3 years. yes we would have yet another wing player, but we could then send they most vaule we have at that spot out for future returns, say g wallace to NY for david lee. then you are talking a lineup like this:
PG felton, augustin
SG richardson, carrol or morrison
SF AI2, dudley
PF lee, may
C mohammad, speights
bench hollins, davidson, and ajinca. and may or morrison is still around(one or the other)
lee can bang, gets boards and is good for 10 to 12 points and would not demand the bank like okafor. speights would be a future starting C also.
Posted by: brendan | Jul 26, 2008 11:59:30 AM
I would love that trade. Sadly two BYC players are virtually impossible to swap when their teams are over the cap.
Posted by: spectre | Jul 26, 2008 12:40:34 PM
Spectre makes an excellent point about how difficult it would be to trade two players who both would be subject to base-year compensation. But more importantly, why would the 76ers be receptive to making a huge financial commitment to Okafor, if that team already has Elton Brand and Sam Dalembert under contract? Trades have to make sense for both teams.
Posted by: rick bonnell | Jul 26, 2008 1:11:07 PM
How are teams like the Clippers and Golden State able to make such bold moves this summer and the only thing the cats have done is insult Mek and mess with Felton and Crash? Oh, but we did re-sign Hollins....Yea!
Posted by: apauldds | Jul 26, 2008 9:34:36 PM
The Clippers had a lot of capspace so they made a play to steal Baron from GSW after he opted out...this allowed GSW capspace (minus Baron's salary). They in turn signed Maggette & Turief. LAC then lost Brand to Philly (one of the very few teams that originally had space) thus opening up even more money, which they used on Camby.
We started out near the cap (over with Mek's cap hold) and we've not lost anyone. Hard to make bold moves without the space.
I thought we did pretty darn well when we had the cap space last year. That type of situation doesn't come along every year.
Posted by: spectre | Jul 26, 2008 10:30:59 PM
The person who posted this comment: "Trade the racist owner and ignorant front office, yeah you mj, along with all of the players to Seattle. In exchange we will take? Oh what the hell just take them , we tax payers have given them everything they begged for and the racist owner still bitches. GOOD BYE"...wow interesting commentary, you call Bob a racist owner, and MJ ignorant(front office)and wonder why neither wants to be in town where people line up to ask for their autograph, then walk off and called them racist and ignorant. Be careful how you talk about people; cowards hide behind words, look at yourself in the mirror. Based on your comments you are what you write. Get a life and move out of Charlotte if it's so bad. Enough with the racist and ignornant stuff.
Posted by: Isaac | Jul 27, 2008 10:26:33 AM
Issac, name me the time that MJ stood in front of a crowd in Charlotte to sign autographs. I attended a Bobby Phills memorial charity event several years ago....MJ showed up...with bodyguards....the only people he talked to were a stream of ladies who the bodyguards let through. MJ seemed to know each of them very, very well. At the end of the night, I happened to be walking with my back to MJ as he was leaving. I got within about 30 feet of him and one of his bodyguards intentionally gave me a shoulder shuck to get out of his pathway. (It was Almost a fight.) Please post on here when MJ is going to be in Charlotte to greet his "fans." In five more years, people - especially the younger group - won't even remember that he ever played hoops. It will make his hibernation from the Charlotte public/basketball fans a lot easier.
Posted by: randy jones | Jul 27, 2008 3:54:00 PM
Randy, can you ask Bob Johnson how that "I'm-going-to-throw-my weight-and-money-behind-Hillary-and-trash-Obama" strategy is working out? Is he still going to be a U.S. ambassador and get his gambling casinos approved?
Posted by: William McKenzie | Jul 27, 2008 3:57:48 PM
All MJ did was not get called for walking on all the moves he made. He is a poor example for kids. He has become an embarrasement to UNC. He and Bob are both a couple of horn dogs. The BobJohnsonCats will never be accepted here. Hopefully he will take his team to Las Vegas and then MJ can make legal bets on the team.
Posted by: mj/bj/suck | Jul 27, 2008 9:51:00 PM
Hey Randy, he never stood in front of fans to sign autographs when he was a player unless it was team mandated, so why all of a sudden do you think he is going to be different now. MJ is an iconic figure, not a normal celebrity. He can't walk up and down the street like you and I, he would get mobbed and genuine fans like us would get penalized for the fanatic fan who goes overboard. I think you short-side your thinking a bit about people knowing who he is five years from now. Do you realize that he hasn't played basketball since 2001, yet his basketball shoe is still the top seller. True, the younger generation will not ever seen him play in person (only on tape), but will continue to herald him as the man on the court.
Posted by: Isaac | Jul 28, 2008 9:35:49 AM
Issac, let's take your comments at face value. Now, why would BJ and the entire organization hold MJ's involvement with the team as a reason to buy season tickets if MJ is never going to address the fans? Don't you think it might be smart to, instead of Bob Johnson, have MJ meet with season ticket holders to explain his basketball operations/trade/team building strategy? Do you think that the season ticket holders would mob him? Maybe MJ could be on the podium and have his bodyguards protect him from all this adoration while he speaks to the group? It seems ludicrous to engage MJ to only make basketball decisions (which in the past have been poor) and then never make public appearances or be interviewed by sports media. BUT, the Bobcats seem to expect basketball fans to drool from afar. It is simply insulting that neither BJ or MJ think enough of Charlotte to make this their home base. It reeks of them wanting to exploit the business opportunity (?) but not really hang out with the unwashed customers. The appearance is that both of these gentlemen have much bigger fish to fry than anything in Charlotte, including the Bobcats, and we small town rubes and hicks should bow down anytime they might grace us with their presence. Was Bob accessible the last time he blew into town? Yes, for about two weeks at which time he upset the business community by attacking them for their non-support. This crew is just not smart enough to market this team effectively. It is unfortunate that the missteps of the first few years will take years to repair.
Posted by: Randy Jones | Jul 28, 2008 10:18:51 AM
Please, enough with the we did great last year trading for J-Rich. We gave up cap space and a great lottery pick for J-Rich. That was a high price to pay and all the other GM's know it. They have no respect for the Bobcats GM, they only want to take advantage of us. Draft night was a disaster, two first rounders and a high 2nd round pick and we got a guard when the major need was a big. This mess with Okafor is more of the same, If he was worth 12mil last year, he is worth 12mil this year. The 'cat are low balling him because he had a bad year. He had a bad year because the offence was directed at J-rich and Wallace, two players under contract and Okafor is not the demanding player that demands the ball go through him. Bernie knew this and made sure Okafor did not disapear, Vincent knew this but had no control over the team, Brown knows this and if the ball doesnt go through Okafor you will be on the bench or on another team. Great coaches make great players, sign a one year 12mil deal, so that the 'cats can do a sign and trade next year, plus you are a expiring contract that can be more tradable during the season, or sign a long term contract and kiss and make up with the cats.
Posted by: fred flinstone | Jul 28, 2008 1:22:17 PM
how bout okafor for boozer?
Posted by: tomo | Jul 29, 2008 10:10:55 AM
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