Chandler for Okafor deal in works {Update - Official 7/28} {mega-merged}

[DSchexnaydre]

Anybody have ESPN Insider so we can see what Hollinger has to say about it?

[truck man]

That is what I mean. We are getting something for nothing.

On a different note. Why can't Hilton be our backup 4, instead of our backup 5. I noticed he played better at the pf spot than he did center.

i do believe Hilton can give us some spot duty at the 4, i also believe if we can attain Big Baby he can play some 5 for us in smaller lineups. he backed up Perkins a lot for a Celtics team that was a contender.

[West Coast Hornet]

Thanks for that. The last dunk on the tape shows that Okafur will easily bring what TC brought in terms of the open dunks. Of course, TC is a bit more athletic, but Paul is the master with floor spacing, and this is why Okafur will take off here.

It's going to be a fun season. Tough, but fun.

[neworleanshoo]

a lot of my North Carolina friends have been emphasizing that Okafur is NOT a good defender... i was under the impression that they were about even, though TC is more athletic.

they say he's a good shot-blocker but frequently gets pushed around down-low.

i still say we made off like bandits, but that's the one area that concerns me

[West Coast Hornet]

a lot of my North Carolina friends have been emphasizing that Okafur is NOT a good defender... i was under the impression that they were about even, though TC is more athletic.

they say he's a good shot-blocker but frequently gets pushed around down-low.

i still say we made off like bandits, but that's the one area that concerns me

This is probably why people say the trade is not as one-sided as many may think. TC seemed to go as far he could get in terms of development and as such he had some defensive liabilities in the paint/post. He couldn't seem to develop any real offense beyond hanging around the rim. Hanging around the rim is great, but that is where the injury problem comes in. If he isn't set back with a chronic injury, I am not sure we trade the guy. Really.

[J-Dub]

Hey, someone told me they heard on the news the deal is DONE!!
can anyone confirm this???

[West Coast Hornet]

It's done.


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HORNETS TRADE TYSON CHANDLER TO BOBCATS FOR EMEKA OKAFOR

The Hornets announced today that they have acquired center Emeka Okafor from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for center Tyson Chandler.

"Emeka is one of the premier centers in the NBA with All-Star caliber scoring and rebounding averages throughout his career," said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower. "His potential to improve is endless once you put him on the court running with Chris Paul. We appreciate what Tyson has done for our club in the past and wish him the best, but our intention this summer was to improve our team and this trade is definitely a positive move in that direction."


EMEKA OKAFOR

Okafor (6-10, 235), a five-year veteran, has averaged a double-double his entire career, averaging 14.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots in 330 games over five seasons with the Bobcats. Last season, Okafor averaged 13.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while playing in all 82 games.

He ranked second in the NBA in offensive rebounds (3.4), fifth in rebounds, sixth in field goal percentage (.561) and 12th in blocked shots. Okafor was the second overall pick in the 2004 Draft and earned Rookie of the Year honors with averages of 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds during his rookie season.

More about Emeka Okafor:

Born in Houston, TX and attended Bellaire High School
Played for the University of Connecticut from 2001-2004
Graduated with Honors in Finance from UConn in 3 years with a GPA of 3.8
2004-2005 NBA Rookie of the Year
Launched a mobile texting campaign to raise money for the One Million African Lives Initiative (OMALI)

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[CHI-TOWNSAINT]

I real post presence on offense is going to help us immensely. This trade excites me more than anything I thought could have happened this offseason.

Cudos to Bower......wait, did I just say that?

[thefuture]

a lot of my North Carolina friends have been emphasizing that Okafur is NOT a good defender... i was under the impression that they were about even, though TC is more athletic.

they say he's a good shot-blocker but frequently gets pushed around down-low.

i still say we made off like bandits, but that's the one area that concerns me

Funny since those professional scouts and coaches at DraftExpress are saying that he is a great post defender who can even play some defense in the midrange.

[Eman5805]

I know he's a good defender and shot blocker cuz he has a lock and a hand under him on NBA Live.

[GameBreaker]

Okafor is a better finisher than Chandler is. I remember saying at times in the 07-08 season that Chandler is overrated. He gets frazzled easily and unless he gets a wide open dunk he really doesn't finish, I especially noticed in the playoffs when the tension and pressure is higher. But on that note he will be missed because when his head was in the game and healthy he was fun to watch and he was a loveable guy.

[UNO Gracias]

I don't think size is as big a factor as heart, and Okafor has that and then some.

Also, lets dispell the rumor that the guy can't get up. His highlights show he can.

[NIH]

Bower pulled off a robbery, simple as that.

[Harvey]

Harvey or anyone, I would be curious to know.....

Why would a trade that is seemingly a one for one swap take since Friday to complete? Seems like convoluted three team trades have been done in less time. Is it maybe just crazy injury writing in the deal that they are covering their butts about?

It actually took about 2-3 weeks to come together. The Bobjohnsoncats wanted to learn more about TC's condition and track his progress after the surgery.

[GeauxSaints53]

Anybody have ESPN Insider so we can see what Hollinger has to say about it?

Title: What are the Charlotte Bobcats thinking?

Usually when a trade happens, I'll write something like, "On the surface, it makes no sense," and then proceed to walk you through all the cap ramifications to show why a seemingly lopsided deal actually makes some sense.

This isn't one of those.

I'm just as puzzled as anyone why the Bobcats would agree to trade Emeka Okafor to the Hornets for Tyson Chandler, because in terms of both basketball and cap implications, the deal makes a lot more sense for New Orleans than it does for Charlotte.

The Hornets pulled off the rare feat of saving money while becoming a better team. Yes, Okafor's contract runs three years longer, but that matters much less than the near-term implications of having a lower payroll this year and next year because of the luxury tax calculations.

He'll save the Hornets $1.1 million in salary and another $1.1 million in luxury tax this year, and he puts them close enough to the tax line that they could put themselves under by bribing somebody to take Antonio Daniels at the trade deadline. That will be difficult, yes, but it's not impossible.

Ditto for next year. The Hornets already are threatening the lowered tax threshold for next summer, and the trade would give them an extra $1.2 million in wiggle room to add players. (This presumes Chandler doesn't opt out of the final year of his contract at $12.7 million, which, based on his present production, would be fiscal insanity.)

And, as I mentioned, Okafor is the better player. Both players consistently have been honorable mentions in my all-defense picks, but Okafor is the superior scorer. That might not be saying much -- both players are somewhat limited offensively -- but Okafor can score on post-ups occasionally and make short bank shots, while Chandler's range ends at the charge circle. Over the past three seasons, Okafor has averaged nearly five more points per 40 minutes -- that's big.

The health disparity between the two also has been mentioned, but look closer, and I'm not sure there's any difference. Okafor has averaged 66 games per season over the course of his career, Chandler 67. Chandler has a bad toe that already nuked one trade, but Okafor has a problematic back. Okafor has played 82 games each of the past two seasons, but over their careers, their injury histories show little separation. Age isn't an issue either -- they were born four days apart.

Nevertheless, the Hornets have to be stoked. Getting a not-quite-All-Star caliber center who will do the dirty work on D and score a little improves their chances of hanging with the West's upper crust, although there remains much work to be done.

... (It goes on, but I don't think I'm allowed to post the whole thing.)

[Creative]

Great deal! It's going to be a fun season :]

[Beezwax]

don't shoot the messenger but I hear Hornets are now in talks with the celtics for a sign and trade of Big Baby to the Hornets for Posey. Anybody else hear this?

[SuperchargedCP3]

this is awesome... I really like TC, but after the 2nd half of last season and the playoffs. I really dont him getting any better.

This guy sorta reminds me of brandon bass. Really athletic and moves quick.
Cant for CP to show him the ropes.

[Kurgan]

don't shoot the messenger but I hear Hornets are now in talks with the celtics for a sign and trade of Big Baby to the Hornets for Posey. Anybody else hear this?

Yeah i did too..and as i said, i tried to smash my head jumping to the ceiling! This is one incredibly fantastic trade! Kudos to bower, for real!

[ticktock6]

Yeah i did too..and as i said, i tried to smash my head jumping to the ceiling! This is one incredibly fantastic trade! Kudos to bower, for real!

Recently? Cause the last I heard Boston were talking to New Jersey about trading him for Yi Jianlian or in some kind of a three way deal for Marquis Daniels. I know the offer was out there, but I am not under the impression that was close. And I haven't heard anything about it in a couple of weeks. I think the Celtics decided to go a different direction.

[bradael]

I think it's pretty clear at this point that Okafur isn't a superstar. He probably can be compared to Pau Gasol in that he was his team's best player but his team was pretty awful. He can't carry a team by himself.

Now he'll be the 2nd or 3rd best player on his new team. Now the Hornets actually can have a starting lineup where every player is a legit threat offensively. Tyson's only threat obviously was dunks and put-backs. The reality is, when Tyson put up 10 points and 10 boards, we were almost unbeatable. Okafur has averaged a double double every season of his career. And I also expect his points per game to go up slightly here. I'm expecting 15 and 11.

I don't think this puts the hornets over the top yet (Artest to the Lakers, RJ to the Spurs while getting Ginobli back, and Rasheed to the Celtics while getting KG back), but this should put them back to competing for the 2nd or 3rd best spot in the West. That's certainly better than watching them get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs.

[roturn]

don't shoot the messenger but I hear Hornets are now in talks with the celtics for a sign and trade of Big Baby to the Hornets for Posey. Anybody else hear this?

i would love to see some cited sources of this...let's not start throwing ideas out as confirmed rumors...please!

[Tmon818]

i would love to see some cited sources of this...let's not start throwing ideas out as confirmed rumors...please!

I honestly dont like this. I think we should give Posey one more season(or half a season)

Also, I think out of the available bigs Big Baby might be the worst fit for our system

[DroopyDawg]

Got this email from hornets.com... doesn't get much more "official" than this.

http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/HORN...RE_OKAFOR.html

[Spaniard]

It actually took about 2-3 weeks to come together. The Bobjohnsoncats wanted to learn more about TC's condition and track his progress after the surgery.

Thanks Harvey. Just was kinda puzzling for such a simple trade.