So free agency is open and the whole world is falling to hell. What we thought was the NBA is no more. All sorts of weird things are going on. Dwight is actually wanting to go to New Jersey, CP3 to LA (or not according to Stern), Caron Butler (32 years old) going for 3 years of 8 million coming off knee surgery to the Clippers. That last one really confuses me, way to screw up a promising young team.

However, I have heard very few rumours about the bobcats, we never usually are a team to be floating information round and our front office tends to keep pretty quiet. Remember the TT trade? I had never heard that rumour until the day it happened, I was like wtf!? I thought he was on his way to San Antonio for sure. There are reports we have enquired about certain players, all seem to be of the sg/sf mix: Al Thornton and Reggie Williams. We also apparently made an offer for Mike Dunleavy at 3million a year, but he went for 3.5 a year over 3 years in Milwaukee instead, fair enough I am glad we did not go over that for an injury prone veteran who isn’t getting any better.

But I can see some of you… yes you there. Getting twitchy thinking, are we going to miss out on this free agent frenzy!? The answer… YES! Or at least I hope it is a yes to some extent. Remember the Eric Dampier trade? “In Dust We Trust” yer… how did that turn out? That’s what I mean, we forced ourselves into a deal then and we got nowhere. I want to see a new player in Bobcats uniform as much as anyone; it’s always exciting watching a new player come in. However I am going to argue that perhaps we should just simply wait. You can see teams getting carried away all around the league, signing people for too much money, or simply overloading their roster with players they don’t really need. Sorry to pick on you again clippers, but seriously what are you thinking? Clippers again now have Caron Butler, Ryan Gomes and Al-Farouq Aminu. 16 million all tied up in one position, with no hint of a star, I expect they will regret that decision. Also, look at the Nets using the Amnesty clause on Travis “7 million a year” Outlaw just one year after signing him.

First of all I just want to say it’s a privilege to be asked to Blog every week for Ziggy aka the Godfather of Bobcats planet. Over the last few years I have come to respect people’s ideas and thoughts on here more than anywhere else. I am not saying I don’t sometimes think what the h*ll are you talking about. I hope people enjoy my point of view, even if for some crazy reason you wouldn’t agree with me, seriously why wouldn’t you? I must be the only Bobcats writer to not have any affiliation with either the mighty UNC or what’s that other team the Duke Blue Firbys? I mean Devils! Anyway, please excuse my poor jokes making fun of my own stereotype. It’s a poor excuse to try and make you guys laugh, without British sarcasm I don’t have anything. Anyway, this article is going to be on some free agent targets we should have for this mini offseason. I just think everyone should understand how intense this free agency period will be. Imagine all those rumours you hear over summer, they have all been saved until now. So all I am saying is be careful what you believe.

Kwame Brown:

1) We are normally weak at centre, we always have been, and we still are. If someone told me I would be writing an article saying how the number 1 free agent we should look to realistically sign is Kwame Brown then I would have eaten my British top hat and used the Queen’s name in vain. However our only centre on the roster is Desgana Diop *Sigh* (who may be cut due to the new amnesty clause in the CBA), who has just come back from a ruptured Achilles. We can get away with playing TT, Diaw or perhaps Biyombo for some of the time, but they will get battered night in night out, especially in this intense season with 2.9 games a week instead of the usual 2.5. Kwame last year was one of the great surprises of the bobcats, Charles Oakley really seemed to get him playing to a higher level than he had for many years. However that has backfired to some extent, now he is being chased by the likes of Miami who are desperate for a cheap veteran big man who can contribute. The draw of winning must be huge in Miami, but I think all of us feel inside the Kwame might repay the faith MJ and the fans had in him by re-signing. He has already said he loves working with Paul Silas.

My Offer: 9 Million-3 years. (I think we will have to give him more years than we want for him to re-sign)

Across the forum there have been several people calling for the Front Office to trade Diaw now we have Tyrus Thomas on a starter’s contract. I think if Diaw was traded no one would argue with it or say they never saw it coming, considering he was almost traded to Toronto. However if Diaw was not moved before the start of the season there would be some benefits.

Throughout Diaw’s career, he has always been one of the most versatile players in the NBA and can quite literally play any position. I’m not saying Diaw is anywhere near as effective playing PG as he is playing PF but if there was a shortage on the roster at any position after the DUST chip (Erick Dampier) has been traded/waived then this could benefit the team and save some head scratching.

As the Bobcats stand we have 3 Point Guards and 3 centres (including Dampier if we re-sign him) which very few in the NBA would call starter material. Last year one of LB’s favourite and most successful line-ups was going small with Diaw playing centre. Due to Diaw’s above average ball handling skills this could also help with our unproven guards, take some of the pressure off them, and let them develop more freely.

Diaw has been the bobcats’ roster for a long time (in bobcat’s world where time passes at twice the speed as the rest of the NBA). He knows the coach, the players and the system. if a large trade did go down Larry Brown would have to teach half the roster the plays again which I’m not saying is a bad thing as the trade may bring the pieces we need, however it would be an inconvenience.

I recently found this quote by Boris Diaw after France’s recent loss to Canada ““They played more aggressive than us,” Many bobcats fans were annoyed at Diaw’s nonchalant attitude and lack of enthusiasm. I do not know if this is an American term but maybe…Hopefully the “penny has dropped” (if not just ask)

I am not saying I want Diaw to stay or I want him to be traded, I try to look at everything the bobcats do and find the positives, you have no choice as a bobcats fan!, I see this as a win/win situation; if Diaw goes then we get some new pieces to add to the team, hopefully some good ones. If Diaw stays then as I said in the above there could be some positives.