Projected selection by Charleotte Bobcats: Bobby Jackson, PG, Sacramento Kings. Robert Pack, PG, New Jersey Nets Bob Sura, SG, Atlalanta Hawks Robert O'Kelley, GMemphis Grizzlies Bobby Simmons GF, Los Angeles Clippers Robert Horry, SF, San Antonio Spurs Robert Traylor, FC New Orleans Hornets Robert Achibald, FC, Toronto Raptors Cutino Mobley, SG, Houston Rockets
THere is no way on earth Cato would not be protected over A Griffin. His contract does not have that long to go anymore and is starting to have some value.
Also from the Insider article,but not posted above: "If a team has one of its players selected, the team receives a trade exception equal to the player's 2004-05 salary. This allows teams to replace a player lost in the expansion draft with another player of comparable salary. " I've never seen this stipulation listed before in an expansion draft rules list, but if it's true, it would seem more likely that the Rockets would expose Cato and/or MoT. A trade exception would seem to give the Rockets alot more options than trying to trade either one in a mutually beneficial trade with matching salaries,etc.
Here's more of his article: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 By Chad Ford ESPN Insider How do teams go about deciding who to protect for the expansion draft? It's an emerging science that many teams are still wrestling with. Insider talked to numerous team sources to try to get insight into that process, and from those conversations we have made our first attempt at projecting who will and won't be protected for the expansion draft. The rules are pretty simple. Teams are allowed to protected a maximum of eight players for the expansion draft. Since unrestricted free agents are ineligible to be drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats, they don't count. If a team has fewer than eight players under contract, they still must leave at least one player unprotected. That's the bad news. The good news is the Bobcats are only allowed to select one player from each NBA team. If a team has one of its players selected, the team receives a trade exception equal to the player's 2004-05 salary. This allows teams to replace a player lost in the expansion draft with another player of comparable salary. So how do teams go about making the list? The general rule is for teams to put players on the unprotected list who make huge salaries. The Bobcats are unlikely to select players with onerous contracts, which is why players like Keith Van Horn, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Penny Hardaway, Raef LaFrentz, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel could be left unprotected. Teams also try to keep young players with reasonable contracts off the list. That's why it's likely you'll see a team like Washington leave a better player, like Larry Hughes, unprotected in order to protect a cheap, young player like Steve Blake. Finally, teams are allowed to entice the Bobcats to take, or refrain from taking, a player on the list. Teams can offer draft picks, cash or future trades to incent Charlotte one way or the other. Several teams, including the Suns, Wizards and Pistons, may go this route. With that said, some teams have no choice but to leave players they value unprotected. The Grizzlies are the best example. They have a very deep team, and almost all of their players are under contract. They'll have to leave as many as five or six very serviceable players unprotected. They could offer the Bobcats money or a pick not to pick someone, but if he's on the list, he's fair game. Then he goes on with his predictions.
If I were the Rockets, I'd protect MoT but not necessarily Cato. If MoT got to start for an expansion team, he'd probably be the #1 or #2 option on offense and average 18 or more points a game. Cato is more of a luxury for us right now. We already have a stud Center, so we don't really NEED a center who could start for more than half the league. If they take him, it frees up cap room for us to look into forwards. They just MIGHT decide to leave Cato unprotected. JVG just recently called the trade for Spoonman one of the best and most underappreciated one this year. I don't think they'll leave him unprotected, but I dunno.
Ford is an idiot, but there's nothing wrong with saying we put those 3 on the unprotected list. As someone said before, they can only select one player from each team. I would be sad to see Mo-T go, but we could afford to lose his contract. I like Cato this year and would like him to be our backup C since Yao gets tired so quick. Cato would definitely have some value out East. If they took him, they'd only have to put up with his contract for another 3 years I'm thinkin so that's not too bad. Nautic!!! No F***ING way Cat is left to be taken. That's insulting to me that you'd say that.
It is no-brainer that MoT, Cato and Spoon will not be protected. All of them have bad contracts and are not starting material.
Like Deuce and a few others have figured out...you have to protect Cato otherwise the Bobcats will select him and deal him for 2 or 3 players making equal to his (Cato's) salary. The Bobcats won't tie up $8m of their $30m cap space in either Cato or Taylor but you can bet they be all ears when trading season starts. IOW IMHO, Ford is all wrong that the Bobcats won't select a high $ player because the Bobcats can hold the "rights" to all 29 of their selections through when the trade season begins. This is precisely what Bickerstaff has stated in this Marty Burns column.... "So far the Bobcats are playing their cards close to the vest. Bickerstaff and Executive VP Ed Tapscott have said all along that they would prefer building around young players. However, Bickerstaff said Monday in a phone interview from Atlanta, where he was scouting the Cavs-Hawks game, he wouldn't rule out taking a high-priced veteran if the right guy was available. "You've got to have some vets," Bickerstaff said. "They're the ones who teach the young guys how to be professional. But you've got to have the right kind of vets, the guys who understand their roles. A lot of teams are saying they're just going to put big money players out there. We've said all along if that player will make a difference for our team we're going to have to seriously consider taking him." As Bickerstaff points out, those veteran types also could be valuable trade assets for Charlotte to ship to contending teams seeking a player to push them over the hump. As far as trade guidelines, the Bobcats will have near carte blanche during the expansion draft. They can pick players for other teams, and then redirect them via trade, or agree not to select certain players. In return, teams can offer Charlotte draft picks and up to $3 million cash http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/marty_burns/03/09/insider/index.html Cato and maybe even Taylor are way too risky to leave unprotected. I hate to say this, but when it comes to cap knowledge and personnel decisions, there are a good number of posters on the board with more snap than Chad Ford. He looks only at the surface. Does only write about basketball? Would Mark Cuban deal Jamison for the #4 pick? Stein thinks so. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=1755807 I'm looking forward to seeing that $6.99m Rockets trade exception put to good use with all of this summers' movement!!!
KEEP Yao Ming, Francis, Mobley,J. Jackson,Taylor, Cato, Weatherspoon, Piatowski.Our best trades are from these players. On the other hand the Rockets might want to open up a huge open to buy, so they might want to get rid of most of the HIGH PAID PLAYERS, my bet is that the only untouchable is Yao Ming.
GATER, I agree, I feel Ford just puts TOO much emphisis on dumping contracts. It makes it easier for him to talk more about player movement that way. As for Stein's article...Jamison for the #4 pick. That is an interesting proposition.
Silly boy, take it easy. Didn't Bob Johnson name his team after himself? It is natural to expect him to select players with the name Bob (Robert, Bobby) and Cat?
4 things jump out when I look at the roster and the contracts: 1) MoT (approx 8 mil - 2007) is our biggest liability because he has a huge salary and it extends through 2007. Plus, he is not that good. He contributes like an 8th man and gets expensive starter salary. 2) Cato (7.5) and Weatherspoon (5.5) are expensive and run through 2006. At least they have played well lately, but not up to their salary. 3) Everyone else is either fair value or short term. 4) Yao+Francis+Mobley (or Allen/Barry based on the most popular trade rumors) + our scrub PFs + Jackson is not enough to win it all. However, if we could add a stud PF, without losing the other starters, maybe. The question is how do you add a stud PF without giving up our 3 starters that are our most tradeable assets (Cat, Francis and Yao). Other than that, all we have is cash, draft picks and backups that are not worth that much ( but I also think a willingness to take certain contracts could be parlayed into value also). SO - How do we improve? CHARLOTTE OPTION: We can only offer Charlotte 3 mil in cash, plus draft picks and players. I don't think we would convince Charlotte to take MoT (not with his 3 yrs at 22 mil+ hanging out there) But, I would try - 3 mil, a couple of lottery protected draft picks and Nachbar (or another player not named Yao or Francis). If they won't take MoT, then pay them to take Cato or Chuck. And, PRAY that CD can turn the current trade exception, and the one that would be received from Charlotte, into solid players. OTHER: Trade MoT + the trade exception for Brian Grant. Cost more money that he is worth, but he should produce more than what we have. Other players with high salaries that could be had in a deal using the trade exception: Antonio Davis(12 mil - 2006), Pippen(5mil - 2005) and Robinson (6.5 - 2006) from Chicago Damon Stoudamire (14.5 - 2005) and Derek Anderson (8 mil - 2007) from Portland Jason Terry (7 mil - 2006) from ATL Stoudamire/Anderson would only be worthwhile if we traded Cat and Francis on a package for a PF. It would be a wild one if Cat/Francis went for Brand and then Cato/MoT went for these 2. Chicago could be interesting. It might be possible to get one of their young guys (Curry or Chandler) and ERobinson (despite Chicago considering him a bust) still has big potential at SF. Plus Davis could be a decent backup c/f. So, draft picks+cash+MoT+Cato+Jackson(right salary and worth something)+exception for AD+ERob+Chandler works. Teams could add pippen for Spoon if it helped get the deal done. The deal allows Chicago to clear a little cap space while getting rid of players that, despite being quality players, are not helping them. Houston gets a decent bu f/c and it starting forwards. I think Gundy could do wonders with AD, Erob and Chandler. And, both teams get rid of their current headaches.
Ohhhh my bad, Nautic. I didn't notice how everyone else you had on there was named Bob or Robert or whatever. I just saw Cat's name on there and freaked out....
Since a number of teams will get trade exceptions as a result of the expansion draft, will that tramp the uniqueness of our current trade exception of $6.9M ? Will we be just "one of the teams" with a higher than MLE exception? GATER, aelliott, NIKEstrad, anyone???
Nice post, but just SAY NO to those two guys. They are old(er), injury prone, and aren't scoring threats. Least with Cato/Taylor we get rebounds or a scorer when we need it. Those two will not put up more than what we have. If one of them did, they would do it for 10 games before being injured.
