***Let me first preface this post with a warning.  This is not a shot across the bow at a “Rival” site.  This is not meant as a burn for fan speculation.  I respect and enjoy the folks referenced in this post and I’ll continue to read their stuff as I hope they’ll continue to read mine.  This isn’t a pin to burst a bubble of a fan base.  I’m a dude writing my thoughts, take them for what they are worth***

The word “source” is thrown around in the journalism community like “amazing” amongst teen/twenty-something girls. (How was the South of France? “Amazing!” How was your last bowel movement? “Amazing!”) What is a source after all? Just someone who tells you something or the beginning of whatever, information, water, oil, etc. “Source” is a bit ridiculous, it could be anyone. “Hey, I was walking by MJ’s office and heard him say……” “Rod Higgins threw away a scrap of paper away that said……”

Let’s be real, be real real son, even when there is legit information, things that get out to people like Mike Cranston of the AP or even, dare I say, Rick Bonnell of the Observer, they aren’t 100% until there is a press release or an official quote, written, audio or video from the involved parties. I didn’t go to journalism school but I know how this stuff works. Best example ever: the missed/cancelled trade between Charlotte and Toronto. Tyson Chandler was telling whoever would listen “I’m going to Toronto.” Well Ty, sorry to tell ya, you won’t be making them Canadian Dollars, you’re getting the American Dollars down in Dallas. It ain’t over til it’s over.

Now, I’ve reached out to a few execs and a few agents. You ask these guys a question they give you an answer. It may be “I can’t tell you anything” as Tyrus Thomas’s agent told me. It might be “That claim is completely bogus” as I heard recently. It could be a real pearl like I got from Raymond Felton’s agent, while not a complete blindside it was good to get it from the horse’s mouth “We are moving forward with the understanding Charlotte does not want to spend any more money, Raymond has enjoyed playing in Charlotte.”

I either have the emails or the person wouldn’t deny I said it.  What’s the point of a quote otherwise?  I don’t know about sources, I don’t have any.  I talk to the people I think will help me spread whatever word or answer whatever questions the readership and most importantly, that I have.  I get excited just like anyone else. But until you have someone willing to say “this person told me this and I have proof” be guarded. Especially if they won’t even say who their sources are.

I don’t play stick and carrot.  Smack someone over the head or bait them into thinking the way you think.  Not my style. It reminds me of this from, dare I say, The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons who anyone who has read this post for more than a year knows that I despise.  3. Stephen A. Smith wins the Woodward & Bernstein Award for reporting last week that Wade/LeBron/Bosh in Miami was “done.” I thought it was ridiculous. How could it be “done”? Bosh and LeBron were committing to an owner, president and coach without meeting any of them?

My guess at the time: Smith got word that Miami was in the lead, took it and ran with it, then hoped he was right. If he was right, he became the big winner of the summer of 2010. If he was wrong, he could always claim that he WAS right, but that something got screwed up and things changed. I busted his chops a few times on Twitter about it; when he reported one week later that Bosh might be heading for Houston, it sure seemed like Smith was talking out of his butt like Ace Ventura. But if LeBron announces Miami tonight? Then Smith is vindicated and I’m giving myself the byline “William J. Simmons” in my next column as an apology. Although …

All I know for sure is, I asked Director of Basketball Communications, BJ Evans if there was a “cone of silence.”  Here is his response:  No such Cone of Silence, not quite sure what they mean by that”

When asked about a 4 step plan or whatever has been proposed:  ” no such 4 step plan…they are doing reaction type stuff, much like talk radio…”

Skeptics may say, “BigCat, of course BJ said ‘there’s nothing to see here.’  Why would he reveal their plans?”  My question is, why would you, cautious reader, question BJ Evans and me and not “sources.”  The simple answer is unbridled optimism, which is awesome, we need that as a fan base.  Something great has to be happening over there I know it.  But “reporting” and rumormongering need to be held with a certain level of restraint amongst more than fanatical fans.

For the record, I hope there is a huge trade and all of our wildest dreams come true.

As part of the Bobcats/Mavericks trade, we would like to welcome former fan favorite  Matt Carroll back to the Charlotte Bobcats.

In his last go around with the Bobcats in the 2007-2008 season, Matt only saw 14 minutes per game of  court time. At the time, the thought was that his game didn’t really seem suited to be a Larry Brown type of perimeter player ( long, rangy, athletic, defensive minded ).  Although I seriously doubt that he has added those tools to his toolbox, I hope that he does find a way to get on the court in spots and be a productive player this season.

If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll bring this type of play back to town with him.

The Charlotte Bobcats announced today that they have traded centers Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca for former Bobcat guard Matt Carroll, forward Eduardo Najera and center Erick Dampier, along with cash considerations.

Carroll started 81 games for the Bobcats over his 289 game career in the Queen City, and still holds the team record for Free Throw Percentage at .849%. He played parts of the last two seasons in Dallas after being traded in January 2009 along with Ryan Hollins for DeSagana Diop. Carroll has just below 12 million dollars left on his contract over the next three years, though that amount is front loaded.

Najera is a 6’8 forward who will make the Bobcats his fifth team in 11 seasons. A second round pick in 2000, he started his career in Dallas, and made stops in Golden State, Denver, and New Jersey before being sent back to Dallas this past season. He has 5.6 million owed to him over the next two seasons, and like Carroll his contract is decreasing.

Dampier is a 6’11 center who has played for Indiana, Golden State and Dallas in his 14 seasons. He likely will not play for the Bobcats as his 13 million dollar contract is not guaranteed, meaning he can be waived at any time prior to the season with no penalty to the ‘Cats.

General Manager Rod Higgins said after the trade was announced that “Our main goal this offseason was finding a way to reshape this roster and continue the momentum we have established. While it’s always difficult to give up key pieces of your team, we believe this deal will give financial flexibility and the ability to improve our team at the same time.”

Chandler was acquired last summer for Emeka Okafor, and missed much of last winter with foot and ankle problems. He averaged 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 50 games with the Bobcats. Ajinca, the 20th overall pick of the 2008 draft, played just 37 games with the team, spending much of his time in the D-League.

What this means for Bobcats fans is that there is likely another move on the way. Dampier’s contract situation allows the team to pursue a player like Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, or Andris Beidrins, among others reportedly available. While this move will place the Bobcats over the luxury tax for the moment, it’s highly unlikely the team will remain around that figure. If you don’t know how to bet on the NBA then I suggest you sign up for a top NBA handicapper. Were the team to be unable to find a suitor for Dampier, he could be waived to allow the team a chance at free agents such as Flip Murray, Shaquille O’Neal, or Will Bynum.

As far as Carroll and Najera are concerned, this shores up the second unit for the ‘Cats. Carroll is an excellent long-range shooter and provides a third man at the Shooting Guard position behind Stephen Jackson and Gerald Henderson. Najera likely will back up the newly re-signed Tyrus Thomas, and shows that Boris Diaw is almost assuredly on his way out of town.

Also, it’s worth noting that the rumored trade of Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto for Reggie Evans and Jose Calderon is now dead, as Najera is very similar to Evans and a Diaw/Calderon swap makes little sense value wise for the ‘Cats.

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.

In baseball, there’s a man named Jack McKeon. He’s known in baseball circles as “Trader Jack.” He’s a retired manager who is the oldest manager to win a World Series (2003 with the Florida Marlins). He managed 5 different teams for 15 seasons over a period of 32 years; 9 years he spent as the GM of the San Diego Padres. But what does all this have to do with the Bobcats, besides McKeon’s link to the Carolinas (he graduated from Elon and still lives there)? Well, Trader Jack is very similar to Michael Jordan.

Now, anyone who knows baseball knows that Trader Jack’s personality is more like Bobcats coach Larry Brown. Both are journeymen, tend to wear on players, and demand trades like they do a change of clothes. But McKeon has more in common with MJ. You see, both had bad starts by most measures – Jordan’s in Washington and McKeon’s in Kansas City with the Royals. But when you look deeper, you see they weren’t as bad as originally thought. McKeon managed the Royals and A’s in his first two jobs, but was unable to have much success. However, after the Royals fired him, the team he’d put into place made the playoffs 4 of the next 5 seasons. The A’s he managed were mostly intact when they made the ALCS a few years later. Jordan as GM in Washington moved a multitude of bad contracts that were hampering the Wizards flexibility and gave them lots of cap space by the time he was relieved of his job. This allowed the Wizards to form a core in Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison that made the playoffs multiple times. But they also bear similarities in how their next jobs went. McKeon took over as GM of the Padres and promptly built a winner: the team made the World Series in his 4th season on the job. He drafted Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and stars John Kruk and Andy Benes, and also signed stars Benito Santiago and Roberto Alomar as amatuers. He brought in veteran star Steve Garvey and Hall of Famer Rich “Goose” Gossage. Jordan has been on the job for nearly four years now, and has drafted young talent in Ryan Hollins, Jared Dudley (both since traded), DJ Augustin, Gerald Henderson and Derrick Brown. He’s signed diamond in the rough Stevie Graham, and traded for star Stephen Jackson and veterans Theo Ratliff, Boris Diaw, and Nazr Mohammed to go with growing talent Tyrus Thomas. Now, I’m not predicting a trip to the NBA Finals, but Jordan, like McKeon, has reached a desired spot in a short amount of time.

Ok, you say, that’s all well and good, but isn’t MJ the guy who drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison? Sure, he did. No Hall of Famers there. But if you look at the rest of his resume, you’ll find that he’s actually done very well, albeit under the radar. While he did draft Brown #1 overall, one could easily see that 2001 was a poor draft, as only two lottery picks have ever made an All Star team, Pau Gasol (#3) and Joe Johnson (#10). While Jordan could’ve picked Gasol, up to that point no European player had ever had much success in the league, as Dirk Nowtizki was still a young gun. Everyone else in the top 5 (Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, and Jason Richardson) are regarded as overpaid and have never experienced much success in the league, Richardson coming the closest. So we give MJ a pass on that one. What about the next year? Well, MJ had the 11th and 17th picks in the draft. Of the players Mike had to choose from, only 9 are still in the NBA and 5 of those were picked in the second round. MJ happened to select one of the few still around, Jared Jeffries, with the 11th pick. While few would consider Jeffries lottery talent, he’s made a name for himself as a solid defender and likely will continue to play in the League for years to come. MJ also picked Juan Dixon, who had multiple successful seasons before heading to Europe this year. When Jordan arrived in Charlotte, he drafted Morrison, who is a bust (though partly due to injury) and Ryan Hollins. While Hollins is no world-beater, he is the lowest pick from that draft remaining. Jordan also signed Argentinian Walter Herrman, who played well in his short stay in Charlotte before being traded. In 2007, MJ traded his first pick to Golden State for Jason Richardson, who led the team in scoring with 21.8 points, a team record. Richardson later netted Diaw and Raja Bell, but we’ll get there in a minute, back to ’07. With the 22nd pick, Jordan selected Jared Dudley, who was also part of the Diaw/Richardson trade. Dudley is a superb bench player and will likely contend for Sixth man of the Year later in his career. Of those still on the board when Charlotte picked, likely only Aaron Brooks (who wouldn’t have fit on a team with Raymond Felton) has had more success to date. Now to 2008, where we see Jordan hire Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown (who drafted DJ Augustin) and trade for Diaw and Bell. While it was lampooned at the time, the trade for Diaw and Bell made the ‘Cats playoff contenders for the first time, and while they came up short, both had a part in this season’s playoff appearance. Diaw has fit in as the point forward, and Bell was traded for Stephen Jackson this season. Tyson Chandler was added for Emeka Okafor, and while that was also considered lopsided, it’s Chandler’s play that’s made the ‘Cats a solid defensive team in the paint. Tyrus Thomas was also added for merely a proctected first rounder and expiring contracts, and Theo Ratliff and Larry Hughes both came practically free of charge. While Jackson is likely the most responsible for the on-court improvement this year, one can see that the architect of the team isn’t as lazy and irresponsible as the mainstream media portrays him. Sure he’s had help from longtime friend Rod Higgins, but Jordan, just like McKeon, is a skilled manager of personnel, and knows how to make the trade or draft pick that helps the team in both the short run and the long run.

Looking forward, if McKeon’s career arc can be used as a guide, then Jordan will soon be reaching his goal of making the Finals. Hopefully, Trader Mike will also bring home that championship, just like Trader Jack.

The San Antonio Spurs have traded 36 year old center Theo Ratliff to the Bobcats for a future second round pick, per multiple sources.

Ratliff, who was drafted 18th overall in the 1995 draft by the Detroit Pistons, played for Larry Brown in Philadelphia, and is well-known for his shot blocking skills. The Wyoming graduate has also played for the Hawks, Trail Blazers, Celtics, Timberwolves, and Spurs before making his way to the Queen City. The Spurs were looking to save money on their luxury tax bill and as Ratliff, who is making the veteran minimum of 1.3 million dollars, wasn’t playing much at just 8.7 minutes a game, the 2.6 million in savings outweighed Ratliff’s bench production. The Bobcats however, will need a body like Ratliff’s down the stretch run and into the playoffs, especially with each current Bobcat center (Nazr Mohammed, Tyson Chandler, DeSagana Diop, and Alexis Ajinca) suffering from injury. He will also be a body at power forward if necessary behind Boris Diaw and the newly acquired Tyrus Thomas.

Also, if you haven’t stopped by the forum, a trade between the Pacers and Bobcats almost went down earlier. That trade would have sent Nazr Mohammed, DJ Augustin, and Gerald Henderson to Indiana for TJ Ford and Brandon Rush, but it appears the Bobcats nixed the negotiations.