The greatest summer of all time!  The GREATEST OFF SEASON EVER!!!!  Sunday, sunday sunday!!!!!  (That’s my montertruck preview voice)

It’s actually Wednesday and the fun starts at midnight (technically 12:01am Thursday July 1).  The Bobcats don’t look to be players in this off-season.  After going without a pick in the draft last week, adding some undrafted rookies (or summer league invitees, not sure how all that works), extending a qualifying offer to Tyrus Thomas and apparently playing chicken with Tyson Chandler (or Tyson and his people wavering in his potential on the open market), the Bobcats have little room to the self-imposed luxury tax threshold and seem unlikely to sign one Raymond Felton.

Questions abound but it is fun to sit back and watch the drama play out on the national stage between Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, A’mare Stodumire and all the rest.  The best part as my quick twitter conversation with HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy pointed out: NO ONE KNOWS ANYTHING!

As I reveled in the seemingly comedic, keystone cops-esque national media, I was brought back to earth.  We have nothing, no moves, no money (well, relatively) and seemingly nothing to do but sit and wait and hope one of these young or old guys we bring to Summer League in Orlando pans out.  We aren’t in the realm of really thinking Matt Carrol is a viable option as a major cog in a legit team.  We made the playoffs last year, as a 7th seed.  We got swept but then again so did the Hawks (much uglier against the same Magic) and then the Magic themselves got swept.  So, we didn’t get one of the top 60 rookies.  We have no shot at any of the top tier talent (that’s alliteration, holmes).  Please don’t fool yourself into thinking we could get someone in a sign and trade.  No one wants to be the guy who traded away LeBron James or Chris Bosh for Tyson Chandler and a bucket of screws.  Really, it won’t happen.

So what do we as fans do?  Enjoy the fact that it’s July and we’re talking about NBA basketball everyday, often as the lead on Sportscenter?  Actually, as fans of any sport you should be happy that we’re not on ankle watch 2010 in Hattiesburg Mississippi on the Worldwide Leader.  I joked about that with a friend whose response was “They’ll merge Lebron and Favre into some angry, mutant, indecisive Transformer.”

I say, umm, enjoy the theater?  Hope for the best but don’t imagine Lebron, Carmello, Paul Pierce or any of the other scenarios that would bring one of the BIGGEST FREE AGENT CLASSES OF ALL TIME here.  (several people are saying Denver is willing to part with Carmello Anthony?)  When I say theater of it, picture this:  Mikhail Prokhorov, Avery Johnson, Rod Thorn and Jay-Z show up at Mr. James’ house, knock on the door, “Daaaaaaaad!  A Russian guy, a little guy with a high pitched voice and some comb-over want to talk to you!”

It’s just comical to think that this is what it comes down to.  Billionaires, Rap Moguls, old, and I mean old (looking at you Jerry Reinsdorf) owners and GMs pandering and pleading to 25/26 year old kids.  Kids who have made and will continue to make hundreds of millions of dollars.  It’s just a sight to behold, truly is.

So what?  The Bobcats are unlikely to do anything in this insane off-season.  Big deal?  Umm, yeah, to me and fellow fans, it’s like being the nerdy kid that didn’t get invited to the party with the cool kids.  What if Bosh, James and Wade all end up in Miami?  That’s 4 games a year against the greatest trio the league has seen, plus 4 against the sure to be better Magic (they have room and are looking to trade), plus 4 against the still good Hawks (remains to be seen what Joe Johnson decides).  It’s maddening and fun at the same time.  Just be prepared as we sit on this eve of the GREATEST FREE AGENCY PERIOD EVER!!! that it is likely to drag out and there are too many guys who think they know….when the parties involved don’t even know.

So the time has come and the 2010 NBA Draft day is officially here. There are so many storylines leading up to this draft and it should make for one of the most interesting days in the NBA. With teams trying to save cap space and unloading contracts, to teams trying to make major moves to make their team a contender, but what kind of day will it be for the Charlotte Bobcats?

The Bobcats enter today with no draft picks in tonight’s draft. But that shouldn’t stop it from being a very hectic day for this team. As of right now General Manager Rod Higgins has been on the phones non-stop trying to find any way possible to make a move and improve this team. All possibilities from trading into the draft, or trading for players have all came up. One thing that we have heard so far is that the Bobcats would like to at least get one pick in tonight’s draft.

It most likely looks like it would be a second round pick but the front office has not ruled out a chance to jump in to that first round. Miami is a team to watch for the Bobcats. The Heat currently have four second round picks and are also a team not looking to add a lot of salary so they can go after the big free agent names. So if the Bobcats want a second round pick that is a good place to start. Another team to watch is the Indiana Pacers. They currently have the tenth pick in the first round but have talked with almost every team in the league about making a trade. Will they trade that tenth pick? Will point guard T.J. Ford also be involved with the deal? And will the Bobcats become players to try and make that happen?

To go along with all those scenarios there are also some big names on the trading block, mainly Chris Paul. Paul has been rumored to be on the block but Hornets owner George Shinn has came out and said that Paul will stay in New Orleans long term. Is that true? Or are the Hornets looking to move one of the best point guards in the game? Besides Paul some other big names that are available are Tony Parker, Monta Ellis, and Hedo Turkoglu just to name a few.

So it will be interesting night to see what happens with not only the Bobcats but around the entire league. It should make for a great night in the NBA and it all starts tonight with coverage on ESPN at 7 P.M. Also don’t forget to join us in the forums right here on BobcatsPlanet.com for the annual live Bobcats Planet Draft Chat. For me, it will be my first one and I really look forward to talking everything NBA in tonight’s draft so we will all see you then.

After a lengthy hiatus, BobcatsPlanet Radio returns with a new format and crew to discuss the upcoming draft and free agency.

Listen here

BCP Radio #201

The Charlotte Bobcats offseason continues to be one of the busiest and most important in franchise history. Coming off their best season ever and first playoff berth, it is now more important than ever that they continue taking this team in the right direction. First it started with head coach Larry Brown and making sure that he would be returning for his third season. Now that it looks almost certain that Brown will return it is time to turn all of the focus to the roster. We have already talked in recent days about the status of Raymond Felton and if he would be the starting point guard next season? As of now the chances of Felton being the starter seem to be getting slimmer and it is now up to the Bobcats to decide what their next step is. Now that brings us to today, just four days before the NBA draft and the Bobcats trying to do everything they can to upgrade this roster.

First let’s start with the NBA Draft this Thursday. As of now the Bobcats do not have any picks in the upcoming draft but still continue to work out draft prospects on a daily basis. But don’t think just because right now they do not have a pick that they will not be a player on draft night. There have been numerous talks of the Bobcats trading into the draft, most likely to get a second round pick in return and the outside possibility of trading late into the first round. To get that draft pick, look for Charlotte to try and make a deal that would unload some salary to free up some cap space. The Bobcats still have a few roster spots that are available and a draft pick could help solidify their bench.

For the next scenario let’s take a look at what would happen if the Bobcats decide to go in a different direction. Yes young draft picks would be nice to add some talent to this team but we all know the history behind the Bobcats draft picks and it hasn’t been a very good one. So instead the better option might be for the front office to look at upgrading through trades, which in the past has been more successful. A source has said that the Bobcats are in a lot of trade talks at the moment and that owner Michael Jordan would not be opposed to adding a little more salary to make this team better. That was not the case in the past when former owner Bob Johnson was against hardly spending any money to improve the product on the court. So with Jordan willing to add more salary to make this team a contender, it is another huge step that shows Jordan wants to make this work in Charlotte.

So now that we know that a trade is a possibility, who could the Bobcats be looking to bring in? Well first I would have to say a point guard. Players like Mo Williams, T.J. Ford, and Kirk Hinrich are all names that have been tossed around. Then the next trade I could see them taking a look it is to bring another outside scorer in. For that spot we are talking about names like J.R. Smith, Roger Mason, and Matt Bonner. All players are capable of stretching the defense which is what this team needs.

That is just some of the talk surrounding the Bobcats right now and their will only be more to come. So what do you think Bobcats fans? If this team trades into the draft what would you want them to take? Or if they make a trade who would you like to see them bring in? One thing is for sure, the Bobcats are going to make a move somewhere.

When you talk about the Charlotte Bobcats “to do list” this offseason one of the main topics that comes up is the free agent status of point guard Raymond Felton. A Tarheel that was selected fifth overall by the Bobcats and has played his entire career in Charlotte, is an unrestricted free agent and the front office is still trying to decide if they want Felton on that “to do list” of things to get done.

Felton’s career as a Bobcat has been up and down but over the past couple of seasons his numbers were getting better. A career 13.3 points per game scorer to go along with 6.4 assists, the team co-captain has provided leadership and toughness for the Bobcats but over time his shot selection and running of the offense has been questioned. He turned down a contract offer last offseason that would have been worth around six million dollars per season because he believed he deserved to be paid like a top point guard in the league. And throughout the regular season he was starting to prove that. The Bobcats were winning games and pushing for the playoffs and Felton’s play was solid and then that’s when it all changed in the playoffs.

Charlotte was swept by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs and a big part of that had to do with the play of the fifth year point guard. Magic point guard Jameer Nelson exploded against Felton averaging 23.8 points and shooting 48 percent from the field. Felton’s defense was awful and at the same time his shooting percentage dropped to 40 percent, five percent below his average in the regular season. The series really opened the eyes of the front office for the Bobcats to start questioning if Felton should be the point guard to lead this team in the future.

Now this is a tough and crucial decision to make for this team on whether Felton should be re-signed. If they let him walk then they are left with only one point guard on the roster in D.J. Augustin and no draft picks in this upcoming NBA Draft. Augustin has shown flashes of playmaking in his first two seasons but I don’t believe he is ready to take over the starting job. His confidence and play is still inconsistent and for right now I think he is better used coming off the bench. So if Augustin is not the guy where do the Bobcats turn now?

Well the next option would be to look at either a trade or bringing in a free agent. And since the team has hardly any money to spend then a trade is probably the best place to look. They could go out and look for a veteran like T.J. Ford, who they were close to acquiring last season or they could try to make a trade to bring a young guy in like Darren Collison who played great last season but will now play behind Chris Paul this upcoming year. Those are just a couple of options that present themselves and of course salaries and players would all have to match up for a deal to go through to keep the team from hitting the luxury tax.

All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest decisions the Bobcats have made. Do you re-sign a player in Felton where you know what you are getting with some inconsistency but overall decent numbers? Or do you look elsewhere and let Augustin and whoever else you bring in take over the reins? What do you think Bobcats fans? Should they re-sign Felton or look for other options at point guard?

More Raymond Felton free agency discussion around the web

• Raymond Felton’s possible departure – Bleacher Report
• Felton represents classic dilemma – Charlotte Observer
• Unexciting Free Agent watch – Belmont.com
• The Great Raymond Felton Debate – BobcatsPlanet Forums