Congrats. MJ and Cho are getting it done!

[HornetJail]

^ Proof we're already tanking for Wiggins.

[Kembastockton]

1)Ben Gordon - added $2.5 mln to payroll this yr and 12.5 mln nxt. Gordon takes playing time away from Hendo, dissuades us from trying Taylor & MKG at SG, and makes Reggie Williams expendable (essentially costing us another $2.5 mln). The only reason I can swallow this is the #1 pick, but that means we basically paid $15 mln for the pick.

There is a minimum nba salary, we needed to add some short term salary. Gordon does that and provides an immediate need scoring. The cats need all they can get. Gordon does not take playing time from anyone. You seem to forget that all of these decisions will be made based on daily practices. You also seem to forget that both are here the next few years the team will have plenty of time and opportunity to see where thesed guys fit. Why would you care about Reggie Williams? Trade him for a second round pick.

2. Ramon Sessions - $5 mln for a PG who has insisted that he wants to be a starter, when we picked a PG in the first round last yr? Why is Sessions any different than DJA in that regard? The "who starts" controversy is the last thing this team needed.

If he wants to start he has to earn it. Period.

3. Brendan Haywood - a 32 year old who lost playing time last year. Clearly declining. The 7' 26 yo (Mahinmi) who took away Haywood's playing time was available as a free agent, but instead we pursued Haywood. Sent Haywood to recruit Jamison, but ironically, signing Haywood helped erase the cap space we need to sign Jamison. Yes, we got Haywood on sale . . . but for 3 yrs.

Mahini signed were he wanted to sign. If he wanted to play in Charlotte we would have signed him. Why is that hard to understand.

32 year old and declining Brendon Haywood is currently the best center on Charlotte's roster. Sad to say, but is true.

Any one of these moves might have been okay on their own, but add them up, and we maxed out our cap space. Now, we desperately need a rebounding PF, but to add one we need to amnesty Diop or TT.

We are still 6 million under the cap. And if we had amnestied Diop or TT that would have just added another 7 or 8 million to our usable cap.

Relative to the way Cho stated he wanted to rebuild, I get the DET 1st/Gordon trade, but not the rest.

That is because you are only seeing short term. Rebuilding is long term planning. All of these moves that you are complaining about are short term quick fixes to prevent us from having another 7 win season.

[BlackOutBuzz]

We are still 6 million under the cap. And if we had amnestied Diop or TT that would have just added another 7 or 8 million to our usable cap.

I agree with most of what you said, but by my count we are right at the cap. I can't find JT's official numbers, but with the last pick of the first round getting $850k I have to imagine he's in the 845k range. Adding up the salaries of the 13 guys on our roster, I figure we're only about 920k under the cap.

I figure that, if we were gonna sign someone else to a decent-sized offer, we had to make a decision by midnight so that we could amnesty Diop to create some cap space. Now that ship has sailed, so who can we go over the cap to sign? Our own players from last season (UPS, DJW, Eddie, Lil' Higs?, Moon?) and guys at minimum contracts. The only other exception I guess would be trades or sign-and-trades. Maybe I'm wrong though, any other circumstances where we can exceed the cap?

EDIT: That said, I have no idea where we stand with exceptions...so maybe we have more space, but that's just me adding up the salaries.

[bobcats3wallace]

We should be right at the cap, if not over by the time we sign UPS ( if we sign UPS ). We can always use the MLE, so having money to spend isn't an issue. Cho and MJ realize that while we are still looking to get a top 5 pick, you have to put somewhat of a product on the floor. Even with these additions, we are still bad. So the plan has not changed. It's just these moves make us slightly better from our 7 win team and should provide more energy and leadership. You also have to look at it in the aspect of Haywood and Sessions being assets. You cannot trade Haywood this year because of amnesty rules. However your telling me that come year 2 or 3 a team wouldn't be interest in a 7 footer who is making 2 million? Tell me where else we could sign a 7 footer for that much and keep in mind that Haywood still was decent last year with 5/6/1 in 20 minutes of play. You then look at Sessions. He is the perfect BACK-UP to Kemba. He can help teach Kemba how to be a PG, not a SG. Not only that, but he is only on a 2 year deal. Again, a very tradeable asset come that 2nd year of his contract.

As far as the Gordon trade goes, I don't see how you can be disapointed. Salary is a mute point to the Bobcats. Who were we really going to spend it on next season? If we spent it on anyone of significance we would most likely be drastically overpaying. Not to mention that everyone involved in the league seemed to think fair value was Maggette for Gordon straight up and were shocked we got such a lightly protected 1st out of it as well (according to Bonnell).

All of these moves provide us with future assets, which is exactly how Cho stated he wanted to rebuild. He wants assets, and he's getting them. He got a 1st for a lame duck Maggette. Hell, Gordon could even be flipped for more next offseason. Gordon himself is an asset. In the same breathe he is also improving this team to be more attractive for fans to come watch and set the foundation for the eventual upward climb to the playoffs.

[BlackOutBuzz]

However [you're] telling me that come year 2 or 3 a team wouldn't be interest in a 7 footer who is making 2 million?

As far as the Gordon trade goes, I don't see how you can be disapointed. Salary is a mute point to the Bobcats. Who were we really going to spend it on next season?

I'm not sure if this is directed to me or if you're being rhetorical or what, but I'm in agreement with you. I was just trying to decipher our current cap situation. I don't care if we suck, I want the highest pick possible. I'd rather take a chance on young guys with potential than more established guys like Jamison or Landry who've already reached their potential (and may add an extra win or two). Haywood will indeed be a great trade asset in a couple years (I didn't mind the signing, and I didn't even know we could trade him at all!). I loved the Gordon trade, mainly for the pick but I also think he'd be good player for Kemba to learn from should we decide he's more of a Combo Guard/6th Man. Even better, hopefully we use him in our annual "veteran for veteran plus pick" draft day trade.

Jax/Liv/19 = Mags/7
Mags = Gordon/Future First
Gordon = ?

I've pretty much loved our entire offseason. I didn't want MKG, but I quickly changed my tune after his debut.