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It’s official: Emeka Okafor is no longer a Bobcat.

Today, the trade with the New Orleans Hornets was finalized, sending Tyson Chandler to Charlotte for Okafor.

I posted yesterday my own opinions on how I felt about this deal, and having spoken today with some fellow Bobcats fans, the consensus is shared. People are not happy with this trade in Charlotte.

Jordan Clary, a 22 year old student at UNC Charlotte, went so far as to invoke the name of George Shinn when referring to how bad a decision this is. Shinn, of course, is the owner of the New Orleans Hornets, formerly the Charlotte Hornets. The franchise left Charlotte in 2002 due to low attendance, caused by, for lack of a better phrase, Shinn’s cheapness. He refused to pay players like Alonzo Mourning the money they deserved for their abilities, and traded such players away.

Fellow Charlottean Adam Stinson shared the sentiment. Not a follower of sports, even he knew the name Okafor and what he means to basketball in this city.

Sure, Chandler gives the Bobcats a few inches in height at the center position, but he isn’t polished. Okafor’s career numbers indicate he’s a better shot blocker and scores more points per game than Chandler, and has stayed healthier over the last few years. Not to mention they’re the same age, down to a difference of a few days.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one. It’s more confusing than the Jeff Francoeur for Ryan Church trade. Okafor had just signed a 6 year, 72 million dollar contract extension with the Bobcats. They paid him the money he had coming for the production he already proved he’s capable of. Less than a year later, Chandler’s lower salary makes him a better player? The Bobcats needed help on offense, not defense. Chandler won’t be an improvement over Okafor in that department.

It doesn’t make sense for either side. The Hornets are now stuck with 6 years of salary for a big man instead of 2. They’ve shot themselves in the foot, and won’t have much cap room for next year’s expected free agent frenzy. With the Western Conference as tough as it is, will Okafor really put them over like Chris Bosh could?

In spite of my promise yesterday to stop supporting the Bobcats if this trade went through, I still sent Tyson Chandler a message, wishing him luck playing here in Charlotte. But if management keeps making decisions like this, alienating their fan base by shipping out favorites like they did as the Hornets roughly a decade ago, this team won’t be in Charlotte much longer.

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I think I may be done supporting my hometown Charlotte Bobcats.

While watching the Dodgers vs Cardinals on ESPN, I happened to notice the ticker at the bottom of the screen. It said the Bobcats and Hornets, the original Charlotte team (which locals loathe with a passion over how they moved out of town – but that’s another rant for another time), are working on a deal to trade away Emeka Okafor in exchange for Tyson Chandler.

You have got to be kidding me. Okafor was the franchise’s first pick ever, second overall in the 2004 NBA Draft. He had a great season, and won Rookie of the Year. He’s been the face of the franchise through good and bad, nearly making the playoffs and losing ridiculous numbers of games. And now management wants to get rid of him.

This would leave me scratching my head if it didn’t make me so angry. Why would you trade away a great power forward that the fans love in exchange for a guy with chronic toe problems?

I don’t care if this leaves the door open for more salary cap freedom down the road. You’re not going to draw in fans without a fan favorite, and nobody else on this team gets the crowd going like Okafor. And of all the teams to trade him to, why trade him to the team that abandoned this city?

I said I wouldn’t rant, but I have to. The Hornets abandoned Charlotte. Management screwed things over not only in finances, but also in transactions. Did you know the Hornets originally drafted Kobe Bryant? Management thought it would be smart to trade him for Vlade Divac.

In spite of horrible decisions, this city stuck by their Hornets through thick and thin. And one day, management pulled the old Art Modell move. They left for another city overnight, leaving fans devastated and betrayed.

Years later, the NBA, as a way of saying sorry, gave us the Bobcats. Suffice it to say it hasn’t panned out. After 35 wins last year, fans were starting to have faith in this team. We thought the team was finally about to turn the corner and make the playoffs. And now management goes and does this.

I just don’t understand. You needed to add another big man, not trade away our best one for a guy that can’t stay healthy and was turned away from Oklahoma City of all teams because of health problems.

And now, where does that leave the Bobcats? Are they doomed to become the Clippers of the east coast? Or will they become the Supersonics, failing for a few more years, sold, then moved again?

I can honestly say if this is how management wants to run this team, I don’t care. If the trade goes through, I won’t support the Bobcats anymore. I won’t go to games, I won’t watch them on tv, and I won’t report on them. I’ll support every team they play against just to spite management for once again stabbing the fan base in the back. It makes me sick to my stomach to know one of the three professional sports teams in the great state of North Carolina doesn’t care at all about the fans, or about winning.

May the Bobcats lose more games than the Detroit Lions, be ridiculed more than the Knicks, and be cursed worse than the Cubs. I’m done supporting a team that doesn’t care, and I hope the people of Charlotte follow my lead and abandon this team before they can do it to us.

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With free agency now upon us, deals made this year will strongly impact next year’s highly publicized free agency. There are some solid players available this year, and some teams need to be in desperation mode to sign them to keep their star players from leaving next year. Here’s a look at some players that could have the biggest impact.

Shawn Marion – I think “The Matrix” is the best available free agent this year, as well as the possible impact he could have. Marion has played for 3 different teams the last 2 seasons and should be looking to play for a title contender. He’s made the All-Star team 4 times since 2003, and I think the team that needs to step up and pay him is the Cleveland Cavaliers. With all this talk about LeBron James possibly leaving next summer for the Knicks (which I think is absolute rubbish – but that’s another rant for another time), Cleveland needs to give him a high-profile teammate so King James doesn’t have to carry the load by himself. Say what you want about how well his teammates work together, Cleveland is still a one man team. Adding Marion to play alongside LeBron gives Cleveland as strong of a one-two punch as Kobe and Lamar Odom for the Lakers. And correct me if I’m wrong, but they just won the NBA title. Cavaliers management, sign this guy.

Lamar Odom – I expect the Lakers will re-sign him. They’d be foolish not to, and he’d be equally foolish for not wanting to keep playing with Kobe. I know it was a team effort with the Lakers, with great teamwork between Kobe, Odom, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Derek Fisher. Re-sign Odom, keep that starting lineup together, and you’ll have a good chance of winning a few more titles before it’s all said and done.

Ron Artest – Say what you want about his attitude, the man can play some defense. The Rockets need him desperately considering the possible severity of Yao Ming’s injury and the possible departure next year of Tracy McGrady. He’s unpredictable though, so I can’t really make an estimate on where I think he’ll end up. Personally, I’d like to see him here in Charlotte. The Bobcats are a team on the rise and Larry Brown is known for being able to control troubled players. Look at what he did his first year with Rasheed Wallace in Detroit. He could add some depth to the Bobcats and possibly help them reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history next year.

Ben Gordon – As well as he played during the playoffs, nearly upsetting the Celtics, Gordon has become one of the hot names on the market. Every team can use a good outside shooter, and at a career 41.5% from downtown and 18.5 points per game, he could be a major difference-maker. I’m going to make an unorthodox pick and say his best fit is with the Los Angeles Clippers. Think about it for a minute. They have a solid point guard in Baron Davis and just drafted Blake Griffin, one of the most anticipated, can’t-miss rookies in recent memory. If he signs with them, in spite of how hard the Western Conference is, the Clippers will have a solid 1-2-3 combination.

Now, the dead weight of this year’s class. Not all free agents out there are as good as advertised. Here are the guys I see being over-valued or possibly not even getting signed.

Jason Kidd - As much as I like his style and demeanor, Jason Kidd isn’t worth as much as people think he is. Sure, he never gets injured and he’s a great team player. I just think at age 36, he’s not worth the money most people are going to offer him.

Sean May - Let’s face it, the guy is a bust. Larry Brown refused to play the guy because he wasn’t in good enough shape. I don’t see anyone wanting to sign him.

Allen Iverson - I’ve never liked this guy because let’s face it, he’s got a bad attitude. He’s not a team player, only cares about himself, and I don’t think anyone wants to put up with that. At 34 years old, he’s at a possible retirement age, and if nobody wants to take a chance on an aging point guard, he could be forced into early retirement.

Rasheed Wallace - I think the same applies to him as it does for Iverson.. He’s an aging big man that gets a lot of technical fouls for running his mouth, and I don’t think he can really help many teams. All the title contenders are pretty well set with their big men (the Celtics with Kevin Garnett, Cavaliers with Shaq, Lakers with Gasol, Magic with Dwight Howard, etc). If he goes to a title contender, I don’t see him starting. If he wants to start, it won’t be with a title contender. I think he needs to stay with Detroit, but there’s not a lot of hope in that.

Charlie Villanueva – This one isn’t quite as easy. He’s a solid player, averaging 13.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over the course of his career. He’s stayed healthy for the most part, and I think he could step in and play well for someone. The problem is how much money he’ll be paid. I don’t really think he’s earned the right to make All-Star money just yet.

So those are my thoughts on some key free agents. I know there’s bound to be people that disagree with me, and they’ve got all right to. Regardless of your opinions, try to keep it respectful when posting comments.

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