According to ESPN.com and various other outlets, The Hornets have agreed in principle to a trade of Tyson Chandler to the Bobcats for Emeka Okafor. I'm working on a stat-pack post to evaluate the new acquisition, but I wanted to get my first thoughts out there.
To be honest, despite that irritating(or so I'm told) optimism I've exuded, this deal comes as a relief. Tyson Chandler is a top-10 center when healthy, and one that could push the top five. Emeka Okafor is also a top-10 center (though probably closer to 10 than 5) but he doesn't have the health risks of Tyson Chandler. Oh, and Okafor is 26 years old and under contract through 2013-14 when he turns thirty. Essentially, his prime years, admittedly for a hefty salary.
I'm going to miss Chandler, but given the choice between a trade for Okafor or for Ben Wallace's retiring contract? Okafor is infinitely more palatable. For me, if not for George Shinn's wallet.
For now, I'm going to go work on my stats post and try to refrain from kicking dirt in the eyes of all those blathering pundits who have talked about how lame the Hornets front office is for a couple weeks now. Oh wait, I guess I just did kick dirt in their eyes. Wups.
11 life-affirming comments post your own
Tobi
07/27/09 11:36 PM
I think Okafor is a better offensive player, a better low post player. But Chandler is a better lob-maid for Paul and slightly better defender. I hope that the change brings some more improvement for okafor, who was bretty much set in Charlotte. I will miss Tyson, too.
#1
winze
07/27/09 11:53 PM
wow just wow, that is big, just when we thought nothing was going to happen.... if we can some how pick up a decent backup big and such this might be a great year
#2
bigindian15
07/27/09 11:58 PM
The thought is that Charlotte made the trade because it'll make it easier to sell the team for the owner. Whenever that happens, you know someone is gonna reap a huge reward. Thanks Bob Johnson!
#3
Lancelot
07/28/09 12:15 AM
Wait, so did this do anything for us financially? I'm still trying to figure that out.
If it did nothing for us financially it seems like a bit of a lateral move. Granted, I think I along with most other hornets fans were hoping for Tyson to have a great comeback season, and in the event that he doesn't, this will wind up being a great move.
I do like that we've gone a bit younger.
I do not like that we took on another GIANT contract, and I worry about how he will fit into the pick and roll offense.
#4
johnny_utah
07/28/09 12:31 AM
If the Cats approached us with this trade then I wouldn't give the FO that much credibility, only that they pulled the trigger. If they can manage to get a decent backup big then I'll slap myself for being one of the impatient. Warrick would be sweet but a PF/C would be a lot more suitable.
Props to Shinn and crew though, I was led to believe this man was a tightass.
#5
Lancelot
07/28/09 01:00 AM
it would have been nice to get the bobcats to take someone off of our hands like daniels, or peterson given the fact that we save them from having to pay okafor for another 6 years, but i guess it's as good a deal as we could have got.
now i'll just have to hold out for a sign and trade deal with the grizz for warrick.
#6
corndeaux
07/28/09 07:37 AM
I wish we had done more than just Okafor for Chandler. One for one, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense-unless Tyson was still upset about the OKC trade. The long contract is a problem, but I think Okafor's deal is less the next two years than Tyson's. As Ryan posted while ago, after 2011 the Hornets have crazy amounts of cap space.
There are some other variations, but this trade would have been very interesting- http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine
#7
SaveYourBoredom
07/28/09 07:50 AM
This came to me in a dream last night, stay with me here:
So, the Heat sign Lamar Odom and Carlos Boozer, hoping to anchor a good team around Dwyane Wade and persuade him to stick around once his contract expires. However, this creates a logjam at the forward/center position, and so, the Heat trade Michael Beasley to the Hornets for... Rasual Butler.
Pipe dream, I know. But consider, the Heat never wanted to draft Beasley, and didn't even start him during his rookie year, and have a bunch of players at that position (Especially if they have their new pricey free agents Odom and Boozer who need their playing time.), AND since Rasual Butler's (admittedly small) contract expires after this season it frees up some space for the Heat to pay Wade everything they can. But in the interim it gives the Heat some solid depth at the guard position.
#8
ticktock6
07/28/09 08:47 AM
To all the people saying we got younger, its not really true... they're almost exactly the same age despite Chandler having been in the league 3-4 years longer. Okafor's 4 days younger than Chandler. They were both born in 1982. Now, does he probably have less wear on his body because of not playing an NBA schedule those 3-4 years? Yes.
hornetshype.com #9
yatpatel
07/28/09 10:10 AM
all things considered, this makes me happy...i mean, we all know tyson was gonna get moved by the trade deadline, so the question is would we be better off getting back okafor, or ben wallace or shaq? it's a no-brainer...i just hope CP3 ain't pissed that he lost his alley-oop partner...
#10
stormsurge
07/28/09 11:40 AM
I cant help but think this was a good move. If Thornton and Collision work out, we may have a better team than last year in a big way.
www.stormsurgephoto.com #11