The Chicago Bulls have traded troubled but talented forward Tyrus Thomas to the Bobcats for the expiring contracts of Flip Murray and Acie Law, along with a protected future first round pick (likely lottery protected and set for 2012), this according to Yahoo! Sports.

Thomas is 6’10 and 225 pounds and will fill a much needed spot at power forward on the depth chart behind Boris Diaw. The 23 year old went to LSU, and entered the NBA in the 2006 draft, picked 4th overall. Tyrus has shown promise in his first few years in the league but has battled with coaches and is considered to be headstrong. This season, in 23.4 minutes he is averaging 8.8 points and 6.3 rebounds. He will likely see those same minutes in Charlotte, as Flip Murray had been playing 21.6 minutes per game. Now that Murray and Law are gone, look for DJ Augusting and Gerald Henderson to see increased playing time, and possibly a D-League call up for point guard depth, maybe even a certain fellow named Dontell Jefferson. The only downside to this trade in the short term is it could take away already scarce minutes from Nazr Mohammed and Derrick Brown. The loss of a shooter in Flip would’ve been disturbing, but his shot has been so hot and cold it’s likely that between Stephen Jackson and DJ Augustin, he won’t be missed too much.

If anything else develops between now and three, we’ll be sure to let you know — stay tuned!

Gather around the tree little children because tonight is one of the holiest nights on the NBA calendar. That’s right kids, it’s Trade Deadline-Eve!

Yes, that time of year when the merry Rod Higgins-Claus slides down the Bobcats’ chimney to deliver all of the goodies that we as Bobcats fans have been waiting for all season. Will we get a brand new power forward that actually likes to rebound and bang? Will it be a shiny new center with a set of healthy feet that does not have a set of toaster hands? For the sake of our sanity, please don’t let it be a broken down over the hill 3 point shooting power forward that has seen way better days ( that means you ‘Sheed). Just to make it perfectly clear to Higgins-Claus, this gift would be like getting a lump of coal in our stocking.

So everyone get a good night’s sleep, leave out a few cookies for Higgins-Claus and his merry band of elves and lets be ready to rush downstairs tomorrow morning and unwrap our brand new power forward.

The Bobcats announced earlier today that they have acquired Swingman Stephen Jackson from the Golden State Warriors. Jackson is a 31 year old player who last year was one of only four players to average 20+ points, 6+ assists and 5+ rebounds last season, the others being LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Paul. The Bobcats traded away starting shooting guard Raja Bell and backup power forward Vladimir Radmanovic, who has struggled so far this season. The Warriors also included G Acie Law in the deal.

This was a brilliant trade for a variety of reasons. First, although Raja is a great defensive player and can shoot the three, he has been injured too much to be reliable. Jackson has only missed more than ten games in 2004-2005 and last season, when he underwent sugery to fix the turf toe he had been playing through for around two years. Also, Jackson gives the Bobcats a huge scoring ability that they have lacked since Jason Richardson was traded away. This also frees up Gerald Wallace to have more opportunites. As for the other two players invloved, Vladimir Radmanovic and Acie Law, I see more advantages for the ‘Cats. Vladi had been struggling since last season, and hasn’t been able to find his shot. He’d also been playing out of position. This allows rookie Derrick Brown and second year player Alexis Ajinca more time at the backup power forward spot. Acie Law is a former lottery pick who has jumped around a little bit, and if anyone can help a point guard transition to the NBA, it’s coach Larry Brown.

Now, I’m sure many of you are wondering about the salary implications of this deal. This season the Bobcats save almost 2 million, and next season they lose around 1.5 million. Both Law’s and Bell’s contracts expire at the end of the year. Seeing that Raja was very comfortable in Charlotte, and just bought a house in the Queen City, he might be inclined to return, especially if Flip Murray doesn’t return next season.

Many people have criticized Jackson for his attitude with Warrior’s coach Don Nelson, but all reports from those who know him make SJax out to be a great guy. Tim Duncan considers Stephen to be the “ultimate teammate” and was given the NBA’s Community Assist Award in March 2008. He attends Bible study and is known for being extremely personable.

* Jackson will likley wear number 1, as it was his number in Golden State and is free.
* Law will probably wear number 2 for the same reasons.
* Both are planning on playing tonight against Orlando.
* Jackson’s agent has already said he is thrilled to be in Charlotte and is a big fan of co-owner Michael Jordan.

I love the movie Bull Durham.  Kevin Costner calls Tim Robbins “meat” the whole time.  You know what he means but “Nuke” doesn’t.  My old roommate and I started calling Chuck James from the Braves “Meat” a couple years ago.  Every time he’d step out there it was like, “How long before somebody just rocks him and he’s got that holy-crap-did-that-just-happen-AGAIN looks on his face?”  You just knew the guy was set up to lose or something but you knew he had a few flashes or hopefully wouldn’t be out there long enough to matter.

That’s what everyone thinks of the Bobcats front office, at least from the outside looking in.  ”Meat.”  When you look at the history, brief as it is, you tend to think that the Bobcats have never gotten the better end of a trade and certainly haven’t added any large talent through free agency.  So with that in mind, not the forefront but it’s a mindset as a fan –  ”We’re getting screwed.” – my initial thoughts were just that: Holy crap, we got screwed by the Hornets, this is garbage and I’m freakin pissed.  Okafor to New Orleans for Chandler…come on!  Okafor will be a full on All-Star next year and the Hornets will make a deep run into the playoffs…it will happen.

It’s not about what we lost.  It’s a trade.  Yeah, we’re out the first ever draft pick, face of the team, consistent every night, 13,10 and 1.5 blocks, ladies and gentlemen:  Emeka Okafor.

Take the fan hat off for a minute.  Pretend you’re Larry Brown, Michael Jordan or Rod Higgins.  (Does it drive you crazy that there isn’t one guy that you can blame/congratulate that’s pulling the strings?)  You are responsible to the ownership and the fans for producing wins and an enjoyable basketball/on the court experience.  Does Emeka Okafor make or break you on any of that?  Is he irreplaceable?  Does he hold the key to the playoffs?  What has he done to deserve to stay?  You had to sign him last year because he is a legit PF/Center as a starter in this league and probably for a long time to come.  He played all 82 games the previous year after being somewhat injury prone.  He got a big, long contract that some thought was way too large and his production didn’t exactly equate to the numbers.  On the other hand, he’s what you’ve got and you know he’s good for a double double every night and some solid defense.

So Larry, you have this guy for a full year.  He plays pretty hard.  He isn’t dominant.  He’s not a game changer.  But he’s good for a double double and he’s the first and best guy that’s been around for all 5 years in Charlotte.  But I’m Larry Brown and I just got here.  I didn’t pick him.  He’s not my guy and he frustrates the hell out of me sometimes.  Oak “gets an A in yoga and pilates but we want him to get an A in basketball.”  You know what?  Maybe we don’t want this guy until halfway into the next decade.  He’ll get $14 million one of those years.  Is he going to be worth it?

I’ve got the scenerio in my head:  in that final exit interview at the end of the season, let’s say that Larry Brown, Rod Higgins and Michael Jordan say “We’ll listen to offers for Mek.”  Hell, they probably said they’ll listen to offers for anyone including Rufus (somebody wash that dude’s costume and fluff it out a bit.  He’s lookin all matted).  Then our dear old pal, Mr. Excitement, Mr. Charlotte, Mr. Billionaire, Mr. AK, Mr. NWA, Mr. Y’all Better Make Way, Robert Johnson says plainly, “I want to sell the team.  I’m not into it.”  The dude who signs your paycheck right now wants out.  To keep your job under the next guy you have to have the best product available for the lowest costs.  He’s less attached than anyone, as a buyer.  And they’ve got to start thinking, really we are paying who?  How much?  For that long huh?

I know we’ve had some serious questions at trades.  We have had some seriously questionable FA’s brought in.  I would venture to say that this team has had holes in the starting line up and first 3 guys off the bench the entire history of the franchise.  None of the trades have helped fill a hole, but that’s not what a trade really does, unless you “win” the deal.

Listen, I’m talking myself into a trade that I didn’t like at first.  I hated it.  My exact quote on the message board was:

I have been talked into it.  Emeka Okafor has had 5 years in Charlotte.  No drastic improvements.  One more piece wasn’t coming.  Dude isn’t any more dynamic than Tyson Chandler.  We didn’t get screwed.  We traded.  That’s why I’m behind this center swap and why I think that this move proves that there is a plan in place and the Bobcats front office is a bit more than meat.

Rick Bonnell reports here that it is a done deal and will become official Tuesday morning.

There are 3 people who have averaged a double-double in each of the last 5 seasons:

• Tim Duncan
• Dwight Howard
• Emeka Okafor

That’s the list… Chandler has done it once in his entire career.

In the forums, fans are less than happy with this deal because it has this the stench of Bob Johnson dumping salary.

Me… Well, I’m completely baffled how this deal will make us a better team and get us closer to making the playoffs next season.

If you think this deal makes us better, please enlighten me by commenting below because I just don’t see it.

We’re done. Stick a fork in us.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have the basketball gods prove me wrong and have the Bobcats win their final 5 games while either the Pistons or the Bulls lose their final 5 games, but lets be realists here… That’s not going to happen.

What accepting the Bobcats’ fate does for me now is that allows me to fully reflect on this season without being pulled in a direction by my basketball psyche that’s screaming “We can still do this!!”. After the loss to the Pistons today, Even my basketball psyche has shut up.

Even though we are not going to be making our first trip to the playoffs this season, there are many things to be proud of if you are a Bobcats fan. Over the course of the past year we have gone from a team that was coached by one of the most inept individuals to ever hold a clipboard to the legendary Larry Brown. That’s like upgrading from a ’92 Escort with 3 bald tires and a donut to a brand new Mercedes off of the showroom floor. Last year we started Jeff McInnis at PG (insert Jeff McInnis joke here), this season the coaching staff divvied up the minutes between Raymond Felton and DJ Augustin. From a personnel standpoint, we took Jason Richardson & Jared Dudley and turned them into Boris Diaw and Raja Bell. When this deal went down, the Suns fans pronounced it a theft on par with last season’s Pao Gasol deal. I think its pretty clear to everyone now that they were a little overzealous. Raja Bell’s defense and Boris Diaw’s superior passing and versatility are both gigantic reasons why we played .500+ basketball since that deal went down. J-Rich can do this though.We even managed to turn Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown into Vlad Radmanovic. Shannon Brown had some moments with the Bobcats, but he was never going to be more than 9th or 10th man on the roster, Adam was horrible this season… that is honestly the nicest way that I can put it.

Barring injuries we will certainly be a playoff team for the 2009-2010 season. I (and all of the other diehard fans) wanted it this year, and we were damned close but you have to crawl before you can walk. I can confidently say that this is our final season of crawling.