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Wheeling, dealing is under way
Bobcats acquire another pick in first round via trade with Nuggets
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Published: June 26, 2008
CHARLOTTE
The Charlotte Bobcats started yesterday with the ninth pick in tonight's NBA Draft.
By day's end, they owned the Nos. 9 and 20 picks.
That set the stage for what could be a wild and unpredictable night, with more wheeling and dealing potentially on the way.
At the least, it put the Bobcats in position to address needs at two vital spots -- center and point guard.
The Bobcats announced late yesterday afternoon that they acquired the 20th overall pick from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a future conditional first-round pick. The team made no additional comment but there were media reports that the pick would be a lottery-protected 2009 first-round pick, meaning that the Bobcats would keep it if they don't make the playoffs next season and wind up with one of the top 14 picks.
Earlier in the day, the Bobcats worked out six players, including Winston-Salem's Othello Hunter.
At that point, General Manager Rod Higgins was open about his desire to make whatever moves necessary in order to improve the team. The Bobcats finished 32-50 last season and failed to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
"We're contemplating a lot of scenarios, whether we could possibly move up or we could possibly trade (the No. 9 pick for a veteran)," Higgins said. "I think that's what a lot of teams are doing right now, and we're one of those teams. We've talked to every team in the league and we're trying to better our team."
Coach Larry Brown told reporters after the workout that he was prepared for much draft-day wheeling and dealing throughout the NBA.
The Chicago Bulls own the No. 1 pick and are expected to selected guard Derrick Rose of Memphis. Miami holds the second pick, but there were indications it was shopping the pick if it didn't select forward Michael Beasley of Kansas State or guard O.J. Mayo of Southern Cal.
"I've seen so many scenarios," Brown said. "I think Beasley and Rose obviously will be gone, but other than that I've seen different combinations where you could wind up with almost anybody -- any of the top-15 guys. I've heard a lot of talk about teams trading in front of us. So I wouldn't be surprised by anything."
For sure, the Bobcats now have flexibility.
If they keep the ninth and 20th picks, they could address issues at center and point guard. Center is an area of concern because Emeka Okafor's contract situation remains unresolved. He is set to become a restricted free agent. Many draft analysts have projected the Bobcats taking Stanford's Brook Lopez with the No. 9 pick. But acquiring the No. 20 pick could enable the Bobcats to draft a point guard at No. 9 and perhaps still get center Roy Hibbert of Georgetown at No. 20.
Four point guards -- Rose, UCLA's Russell Westbrook, Arizona's Jerryd Bayless and Texas' D.J. Augustin -- are projected to be lottery picks. There was some speculation that Bayless could drop as far as No. 9, and an outside chance that Augustin could drop all the way to No. 20.
But having two first-round picks would also give the Bobcats the ability to package picks and/or veterans in a bigger trade.
Brown kept all his options open yesterday before the trade with Denver was completed.
"I like to take the best player, you know," Brown said. "If they were real close in talent, normally I would go for size -- or a point guard, because they're so hard to find. Or need. But I always like to get talent. I always feel that's the most important thing and that gives you assets to figure out how to get better."
The Bobcats also have the 38th overall pick in the second round.
The draft won't have as much intrigue for ACC fans, after North Carolina's Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green all withdrew their names earlier this month. Only one player, N.C. State's J.J. Hickson, is seen as a potential first-round pick. And only a few others -- Duke's DeMarcus Nelson, Maryland's James Gist, Virginia's Sean Singletary and perhaps Clemson's James Mays, who also worked out for the Bobcats yesterday -- project as second-round picks.
Coach Sidney Lowe of N.C. State said recently that he was being led to believe that Hickson would be drafted in the 10 to 20 range, after Hickson was initially projected in the 20 to 30 range.
If Hickson falls into the second round, it would mark the first time since 1988 that the ACC hasn't had a player drafted in the first round. Only twice since then has the ACC produced just one first-round pick -- in 2000 when Georgia Tech's Jason Collier was the only ACC first-rounder, and in 2004 when Duke's Luol Deng was the lone ACC first-rounder.
■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.
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