Bobcats may trade No. 2 draft pick
It’s apparent the Bobcats are assessing the trade value of the No. 2 overall pick in the June 28 draft.
There is a workout set for two of the top candidates for that pick, Florida’s Bradley Beal and North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, either of whom would be considered an upgrade in the backcourt for different reasons.
It’s conceivable the Bobcats could either trade down to get multiple picks or even trade out of the first round, as they did in 2007 when they sent the eighth pick (Brandan Wright) and salary-cap space to the Warriors for veteran shooting guard Jason Richardson.
The Bobcats can create as much as $21 million in space under the salary cap, based on who they might amnesty. Cutting a player under the amnesty clause can’t happen before July 1.
The Bobcats might be shaking up their color scheme, though that’s unrelated to a grass-roots effort to change the nickname to “Hornets” once the New Orleans franchise changes names. A cap design, related to the upcoming draft, showed a light-blue bill to contrast with the darker-blue color the Bobcats have long used. The orange in the team’s colors has been deemphasized for several years. Tom Benson, who is buying the Hornets from the NBA, wants to change the team’s name to something more Louisiana-oriented, so returning “Hornets” to Charlotte is viable.
— Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores raised expectations when he stated his goal for next season during a press conference prior to the team’s home finale.
“I think we better make the playoffs,” he said.
Gores added that he didn’t see the need to make any significant changes to reach that goal. Fortunately, his president of basketball operations Joe Dumars realizes that he’s only in the middle of the rebuilding process.
“What I say to (coach) Lawrence (Frank) is, ‘I’ve got to get more guys that you like — their style of play, what fits you, and what you want to do,’” he said. “So, it’s a hand-in-hand thing. He knows he’s got to get the guys better; I know I’ve got to give him more guys.”
—Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Bulls guard Derrick Rose is making good progress following his ACL surgery.
“He’s been diligent in his rehab, he’s made tremendous progress, and the surgery, obviously, was a huge success,” said Forman, according to Bulls.com. “The biggest thing that’s been encouraging about Derrick has been his mentality towards the rehab. He’s working each and every day, putting a lot of effort into it, and we’re optimistic that if he continues to make the type of progress that he has, that we’ll see Derrick back on the floor at some point next season.”
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