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The Charlotte Bobcats got cold feet and didn’t pull the trigger on the Jose Calderon for Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler deal.  Instead, they sent Chandler and Alexis Ajinca to Dallas, and they received Erick Dampier, Matt Carroll, and Eduardo Najera in return.  We get three blue collar veterans.  Well, Najera is one.  You also know what Carroll is going to give us – outside shooting.  The headliner of the deal, Dampier, may be the weakest link – Shaq used to call him “Ericka.”  This trade, however, isn’t about acquiring blue collar guys.  This deal was all about salary cap implications, and it was likely done to set us future moves.  At least I hope it was, because I do not like our roster as it currently stands.  We have holes at PG and C, and we have two washed-up centers from the Mavs Finals chokejob against the Heat (although the refs had something to do with that). 

I would not be surprised to see the guys we just acquired in this trade (especially Dampier) along with Diaw involved in a future trade.  If the Bobs can’t make anything happen, they can simply cut Dampier and save $13million outright, or they can use that money to sign other players.  The problem is that most of the notable free agents are gone.  So, the Bobs will likely have to pull off another deal.

End of the Ajinca Experiment:  The trade does spell the end of the Alexis Ajinca era in Charlotte.  Talk about a trade done awry.  Ajinca is a first round pick who has a total of 30 made field goals in his two year career.  He’s still young and he can still make something of his career, but it wasn’t going to happen in Charlotte.  Once Larry Brown gives up on you, he’s done with you and there is no turning back.

ESPN says that the Toronto Raptors plan to use the trade exception they created in the Chris Bosh sign-and-trade to acquire Boris Diaw. The article says we’re only getting Dwayne Jones in return, which doesn’t seem fair.  Must be a cap-clearing move since Diaw is expendable after Tyrus Thomas was locked up for a new five-year deal.

Update:  The potential deal now has us acquiring Jose Calderon.

T-Rex is staying in the QC.

The Bobs ended up not making any moves on draft night.  No trades, not even for a 2nd round pick.  In hindsight, I can’t say I’m upset.  Sure, it’s great to have a little excitement during the draft.  There is nothing like the hope and optimism created on draft night when your team picks up a young player, but the truth is that the Bobcats suck at drafting.  There is no use chronicling all our draft failures, and we have only been around for six years.  I have no problem with us sitting out of something we’re not very good at and focusing on something that we have done well in the past, which is to make trades and improve our roster in ways that don’t involve the draft.  There was no use in being hasty and trading a proven player for an unknown commodity.  As Queen City Hoops said, remember what the Alexis Ajinca trade got us a few years ago:  nothing.

The Bobs didn’t exactly start off free agency with a bang either.  Despite Scott Fowler’s illogical rant (why is this guy always obsessed with overpaying for overrated free agents?), they really didn’t have the cap room to do anything (since Michael Jordan does not want to pay luxury tax).  However, they made their first moves today.  They locked up Tyrus Thomas to a five-year deal and bulked up the far end of the bench by adding Dominic McGuire.  However, it looks like Raymond Felton is gone.  

I like what the Bobs are doing.  There was no way they could justify overpaying for Felton.  I like Felton, but the guy turned down the money when it was offered to him last season and sucked in the playoffs.  Don’t feel bad for Raymond, he got the Knicks, who were forced to overreact and make a splash after losing out on the LeBron sweepstakes, to overpay for him.  The Bobs have a hole to fill at PG, but all indications are that they are not done with their offseason moves.  They didn’t pay Thomas $8 million a year for him to be a backup.  It was pretty clear during the playoffs that Thomas should be starting over Boris Diaw, and that may happen.  Diaw is the one guy the Bobs could likely part with to clear some cap room and acquire help at PG (he is the only guy that we would be willing to give up and that others teams would actually be willing to take). 

I like it when my teams make moves that make sense.  Thomas played great since he arrived in Charlotte.  Larry Brown’s coaching has really improved his game, and it should only get better.  By the end of the season, he was outplaying Diaw.  So, we lock him up and he very well may open the season as the starting PF.  On the other hand, Jameer Nelson schooled Felton, and we let him walk.

I’m not going to get delusional about the Bobs.  A 6 seed in the East is the ceiling for them.  Yet, I don’t buy all the talk around town about how they have not done anything to improve this team.  Keep in mind that half of this team wasn’t even on the roster when last season started.  The Bobs record improved significantly after the Stephen Jackson trade.  The Bobs finished last season with a 44-38 record, but they played better than 44-win basketball after the Jack trade.  For once, we may have some continuity.  Give these guys an offseason and training camp together, and we should be able equal or slightly improve upon last season’s record.