1st Of Important Off-Seasons For Bobcats

Well before the 2011-2012 NBA season concluded for the Charlotte Bobcats, team officials knew the summer of 2012 would be the 1st of many important off-seasons for the Bobcats. When Charlotte hired Rich Cho to become the GM a year ago the club found a mutual interest in beginning the "5 Year Plan" the Oklahoma City Thunder executed flawlessly under their GM Sam Presti which resulted them being in the NBA Finals this June. For the first 3 years of that plan, Rich Cho was the Assistant GM for the Thunder and Presti's right-hand man. The Bobcats and Owner Michael Jordan hope Cho can bring some of that execution and luck to an organization that has struggled in drafts and free agency. The Bobcats have the 2nd overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft and are $21 million under the salary cap, two things teams rarely have at the same time. It's Cho and President of Basketball Operations, Rod Higgins, job to execute the 1st year of this plan perfectly and below are the possibilities Cho and Higgins are looking at.




NBA Draft:


The 2012 NBA Draft is this Thursday and is the 1st time the Bobcats have had a Top 3 pick since blowing the Adam Morrison selection. Now I would love to see NBA free agency take place before the NBA Draft in June and July, and move the draft back to late-July or August and have the NBA Summer League leading right into team's training camp so teams have a better idea of what they need heading into the dradft but that's beside the point. The Bobcats have the 2nd overall pick but their are a number of trade options rumored to be out there for the Bobcats. Here they are:


Charlotte's 2nd overall for Cleveland's 4th & 24th.
Charlotte's 2nd overall for Cleveland's 4th & F Anderson Varejao.
Charlotte's 2nd overall for Cleveland's 4th, 33rd, and 34th (33rd & 34th being 2nd Rounders).
Charlotte's 2nd overall and G DJ Augustin for Sacramento's 5th and Tyreke Evans.
Charlotte's 2nd overall for Portland's 6th and 11th.
Charlotte's 2nd overall for Toronto's 8th and F Andrea Bargnani.
Charlotte's 2nd overall and G DJ Augustin for Memphis' 25th and F Rudy Gay.
Charlotte's 2nd overall, G DJ Augustin, G Gerald Henderson(or 31st) for Oklahoma City G James Harden and cash.
Charlotte's 2nd overall and G DJ Augustin for Atlanta F-C Al Horford.


It's no secret the Bobcats want multiple young players coming out of this draft. Cho wants to pull a deal out like he and Presti did in the 2008 draft where OKC had 2nd choice coming out of the lottery and traded back with Miami to get their 4 and 24(weird, right). The Thunder used those picks on G Russell Westbrook and F Serge Ibaka, both key pieces to the Thunder's recent success. The first 3 deals with Cleveland resemble that 2008 deal the most and are the easiest deals to complete money wise because, well two of those three deals involve zero money. From what I've heard and read, the deal Charlotte wants is the 1st one (4th and 24th) but the deal Cleveland wants is the 2nd (4th, 33rd, 34th). Will the deal completely fall through if they can't reach an agreement? Who knows, but Cleveland covets G Bradley Beal and with the rumors of the Bobcats taking F Thomas Robinson then the Wizards jumping on Beal at #3, the Cavs would love to hop the Wizards and grab Beal. Ryen Russillo said today that he hears that 25 of the 30 teams in the NBA have Beal rated as the number 2 player in the draft. Do the Bobcats? Doesn't seem like it. The Bobcats are high on F Thomas Robinson and G-F Harrison Barnes. Charlotte trading back to 4 could be exactly what they want because it could leave them still with the player they want, Robinson or Barnes, and more picks in this year's draft. I think the Bobcats covet Thomas Robinson over Barnes which could work out perfectly because there's very little chance the Cavs or Wizards take a forward because if anything Harrison Barnes wouldn't be there at #4. I don't mind any of those top 3 deals and to be honest I think we should pull the trigger on one of them. Here is how I see Thursday night going down for the Bobcats:


If the Bobcats keep the #2:


2nd overall: Kansas F Thomas Robinson
         - I wasn't a huge fan of TRob when the draft chatter started but I have grown to like him more, especially after seeing him workout and dominate C Andre Drummond at the Bobcats workout. I would be fine with Harrison Barnes to be honest but the Bobcats need a PF and Robinson would be an instant upgrade with great character.


31st overall: Missouri G Kim English
          -Bobcats Head Coach Mike Dunlap said today that one thing he wants the Bobcats to acquire this off-season is "more and better 3-point shooting". English is just that, a sharp-shooter from behind the arc. English worked out against Vanderbilt G John Jenkins, who is quite the shooter in his own right, on Monday and came away as the better shooter in the eyes of Bobcats officials.


If the Bobcats trade the #2 to the Cavaliers:


4th overall: UNC G-F Harrison Barnes
          -From what I gather from Bobcats officials is that they really, really, really like Barnes and everything he showed in his workout but not enough to take him at #2. However, even though it's only 2 picks of difference, I think the Bobcats feel comfortable taking Barnes and his risk at #4 Thursday night.


For possible picks #24, #31, #33, or #34, I think the Bobcats address their frontcourt if they grab the #24 with C Fab Melo and English with the 31st but if the Cavs are only willing to give up the 33rd and 34th, well I see the Bobcats go frontcourt at #31 and then add two shooters at #33 and #34.






Free Agency:


Charlotte needs help everywhere, plain and simple. Honestly though, what the Bobcats really need is an athletic power forward and backcourt scoring. Bobcats officials see F-C Bismack Biyombo being an undersized 5 patrolling the paint while possibly having a bigger 4 that takes along the offensive burden while contributing on defense. The Bobcats have $21 million this off-season that they could spend and could have more if they chose to amnesty F Tyrus Thomas, which I am a HUGE fan of doing. Will they? History says no but Jordan and Bobcats President Rod Higgins say that the team will spend this off-season. Here's how the Bobcats own free agent list looks:


Unrestricted Free Agents: G-F Matt Carroll (Team Option), F Eduardo Najera.


Restricted Free Agents: G DJ Augustin, G Corey Higgins, F Derrick Brown, F DJ White.


The Bobcats will take up the team option on Carroll because although he had a poor season shooting the ball, he has proven he can in the past, the Bobcats love his leadership and Dunlap is adamant about having shooters on his roster. They will also extend a qualifying offer to G DJ Augustin because they believe he and Kemba work well relieving each other during games. They will also more than likely extend an offer to G Corey Higgins because he's President Rod Higgins' son, which I think is just ridiculous his kid is allowed on a basketball court. As for Forward's Derrick Brown and DJ White, both have expressed that they want to remain with the Bobcats but I see the Bobcats offering Brown, whom they like, but not White. Resigning those 3 players will barely take away from the $21 million of cap room the Bobcats have so nothing to worry about.


As I said before the Bobcats need backcourt scoring and a legitimate power forward, or at least more frontcourt depth. These are the free agents I think the Bobcats should bring in for workouts and try to lure to Charlotte:


Unrestricted Free Agents:F Ersan Ilyasova, G Lou Williams, F Carl Landry, G Gerald Green, and G Brandon Roy.


Restricted Free Agents: __________________.........Wait till 2013.


Ilyasova had a great year once he finally got playing time for the Bucks and was a machine on the boards, he would add rebounding, toughness, and a bit of scoring to the Bobcats frontcourt. The Bobcats should bring in Sixers G Lou Williams for one thing and one thing only, his scoring ability. The kid can score and is exactly what the Bobcats want and need. Williams will chase the money so it will be interesting to see what kind of contract the Bobcats will throw at him. Green had flashes of brilliance last season for the Nets and if he can match his athleticism with a great work ethic, he could become a sure-fire starter in the NBA for years. Green is more than likely to resign with Brooklyn but I think Charlotte should take a look. The curious player I put in their obviously is former Portland Trail Blazer Brandon Roy. Roy has made it known that he wants back in the NBA after rehabbing his injured knee, that was believed to have ended his career. Roy traveled to Germany and had the same knee procedure Kobe Bryant had done that made Kobe say his knee felt like new again. I think Charlotte should take a chance on the 3-time All-Star, he will command little money, and what if he has a successful come back. What a story that would be.


Now this year's restricted free agent class isn't outstanding and most would require a sign-and-trade as most usually do. There are a few players I would like to see on the Bobcats roster, G Eric Gordon and C Roy Hibbert. Neither I like however enough to give up lots of cap room to and future draft picks to acquire. The restricted free agent class in the summer of 2013, I feel very differently about. It includes great young players James Harden, Josh Smith, and Tyreke Evans. I want Harden, Smith, and Evans in that order. Even though Harden had a not so great Finals, I still feel he will continue to blossom into a great NBA player. Smith would bring athleticism and intensity that the city of Charlotte would eat up and be just another piece to the puzzle in the Bobcats' 5-Year Plan. Evans is a classic bad-team, good stats player that I think would flourish playing alongside Kemba Walker.


I make the excuse "It's year 1 of a 5 year plan" a lot to defend my Bobcats horrific season but the truth is I think everyday is important if you are in the front office for the Bobcats and we shouldn't have wasted a season like we did this year. Look at your owner, maybe not as an executive but as a player he strived to get better each and every day and that's something the Bobcats should strive for everyday also. New Bobcats Head Coach Mike Dunlap said during his introductory press conference that he wanted to accomplish something new everyday. That's exactly the attitude everyone in the Bobcats organization, including the players, needs to have everyday. Maybe this year's draft may not gain us a Westbrook and Ibaka like Presti and Cho worked out in 2008, but it's the first piece to a very important puzzle for Charlotte.