Charlotte sports radio host Marc James recently tweeted something interesting:

NBA Source just told me the Bobcats will probably trade the 2nd pick. This is gonna be a an Exhilirating 48 hours for Charlotte. #Bobcats

— MARC JAMES (@marcjames) June 27, 2012

He didn’t elaborate, but I have to assume that means “the Bobcats will probably trade the 2nd pick” to Cleveland for the fourth and 24th pick.

If that pick happens, the Cavs will almost certainly draft Bradley Beal and Washington is said to have their eye on either Beal or Michael Kidd Gilchrist.

That would leave either Thomas Robinson or Harrison Barnes to the Bobcats at number four, and Robinson would be an absolute steal at that spot after what he did during his pre-draft workouts.

Still, I think Charlotte wants to draft Barnes, and trading down makes that move less of a risk in the eyes of a ton of sports journalists.

With the 24th pick Charlotte could either draft a guy like Royce White or Jeff Taylor, or trade the pick for future picks.

Mar 25, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Harrison Barnes (40) shoots as he is defended by Kansas Jayhawks center Jeff Withey (5) during the second half of the finals of the midwest region of the 2012 NCAA men

With the 2012 NBA draft less than a week away, it’s time to take a look at the top five players the Charlotte Bobcats should have on their big board.

1. Thomas Robinson:

Some say he’s the safest pick in the draft. With Robinson the Bobcats know they’ll be getting three things:

Defense and Rebounding. He averaged more than 11 rebounds a game last year, and finished the season with an 84 defensive rating (points produced allowed per 100 possessions).

Points in the paint. Robinson dropped in just over 17 points a game last year and had a 54 percent true shooting percentage. He says he’s worked on his jump shooting ability, but Charlotte needs him do most of his damage in the paint. They got outscored under the basket in way more than half of their games last season.

Upside. If this guy has proven anything over the course of his college career, it’s that he’s always getting better. In 09/10 he averaged 7.2 minutes, 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds a game. In 10/11 he played 14.6 minutes, scored 7.6 points and grabbed 6.4 rebounds per game. Then, last year, Robinson put up the awesome numbers I mentioned above.

He’s not just the safest pick in the 2012 NBA draft, he’s the smartest pick in the draft for the Charlotte Bobcats.

2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist:

If Charlotte wants to change the culture of their team, Robinson wouldn’t be a bad choice, but MKG would be a better one.

The kid is a monster on defense, a terror in transition, and he’s got everything you’d want in a top pick… except for an offensive game in the half-court.

Some people are holding that against him, whether right or wrong. But, Charlotte was dead last in a lot of categories, including defensive rating, and Kidd-Gilchrist gives you a guy who can guard the opponent’s best player on an almost nightly basis (he won’t be guarding Dwight Howard or Dirk).

Sure, there’s work to be done on offense, but with a new head coach who’s renowned for his player development skills, I don’t think that weakness is something Kidd-Gilchrist can’t overcome.

3. Bradley Beal:

There’s a reason Beal has exploded up mock drafts recently. On a team that played a four guard lineup at times, Beal, a freshman, scored almost 15 points a game and connected on 34 percent of his three point attempts.

His true shooting percentage was 57, and he wasn’t a liability on the other end of the floor, which he proved with a 96 defensive rating in 2012.

He can create separation and get his shot from anywhere on the court, and he isn’t afraid to take the ball to the rim.

If Charlotte wants to go for an offensive player at pick two, Beal should be their guy.

4. Harrison Barnes:

With Barnes, you know what you’re getting for at least his rookie season. A big, athletic guy who can shoot, defend and play either at the two or three spot in your lineup.

The problem is this: Is that all you’ll ever get out of Harrison Barnes?

There are questions about his ball handling ability. There are questions about his ability to take his man off the dribble and attack the basket. There are questions about his ceiling as an NBA player.

Still, the kid did shoot threes at a 36 percent clip last year at UNC. His overall true shooting percentage was 53 percent.

I think the Bobcats want Barnes, and that’s why I think number five on their big board should be:

5. Trade the hell out of pick #2.

If Cleveland calls the Bobcats and offers their picks (#4, #24, 33, and 34) for Charlotte’s second pick, Charlotte has to make that deal. ESPECIALLY if they want to draft Barnes. You can defend that pick at #4, but drafting him over players like Robinson, Kidd-Gilchrist and Beal would raise a significant amount of eyebrows.

The more I read, the more I believe this is what will end up happening on draft night. We shall see, but for now, count on Barnes and a bunch of picks coming over to the Queen City on June 28.

Apr 10, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Charlotte Bobcats center Bismack Biyombo (0) blocks a shot attempt by Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Omri Casspi (36) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

There’s a bunch of talk heating up around the web suggesting Charlotte will trade the second pick of the 2012 NBA draft to Cleveland. Most people think the deal would be a pick swap that doesn’t involve players.

I’m starting to believe these rumors more and more, and the teams might make things official before the draft next Thursday.

Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond are in Charlotte today, and the Bobcats have already worked out Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes. They should know who they want to draft by the end of this weekend.

I believe the Bobcats want Barnes. I also believe they don’t want to draft him at number two. Experts agree that while the former Tar Heel has a great jump shot and loads of athleticism, he is too risky a pick to take at #2.

So, a trade with Cleveland only makes sense; They’ve fallen in love with Beal, and if Charlotte stays at two, the former Gator won’t be available at four to the Cavs.

For this deal to happen, though, Cleveland is going to have to give up the at least the #4 and #24 pick this year. If the Cavs make that offer, the Bobcats have to pounce.

They could take their man, Barnes, at four, pick up an NBA-ready guy like Royce White or Jeff Taylor at #24, or trade that pick for future picks.

We’ll know what Charlotte wants to do soon enough, but right now it looks like they want to move down and get more picks in the 2012 NBA draft.

Mar 18, 2012; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Harrison Barnes (40) dribbles during the second half in the third round of the 2012 NCAA men

The Charlotte Bobcats hosted their third round of pre-draft workouts Thursday morning and the big name in town was Harrison Barnes.

It was the first Charlotte Bobcats workout that new coach Mike Dunlap could attend, and he didn’t wait long to get his hands dirty:

Head Coach #MikeDunlap just stepped in and effortlessly takes over #CatsDraftworkout. Intensity picked up #nba

— Charlotte Bobcats (@bobcats) June 21, 2012

The list of ‘Cats higher-ups at the workout was long; Dunlap, Michael Jordan, Rod Higgins, Rick Cho and Curtis Polk all had their eyes on Barnes.

And he didn’t let them down:

Impressive work from @HBarnes in #CatsDraft dunk drill. 15 dunks in 1 minute – all with authority #nba

— Charlotte Bobcats (@bobcats) June 21, 2012

Just watched @HBarnes knock down over 80% of his midrange jumpers in this #CatsDraft shooting drill #nba

— Charlotte Bobcats (@bobcats) June 21, 2012

No one else worth mentioning participated in the Charlotte Bobcats workouts Thursday, But Andre Drummond and Thomas Robinson will be in the Queen City on Friday to show off their skills.

If the Bobcats end up falling in love with Barnes, their best possible move would be to trade the second pick to Cleveland for the fourth and 24th pick.

Barnes will be available at four, and there are plenty of options at #24, like picking up an NBA ready guy (Jeff Taylor, Royce White) or trading it for future picks.

Apr 2, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Thomas Robinson (0) shoots between Kentucky Wildcats forward Kyle Wiltjer (33) and forward Anthony Davis (23) during the second half in the finals of the 2012 NCAA men

Multiple websites say the Charlotte Bobcats were not impressed with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist after his workout the other day.

This opens the door for a new look into what the Bobcats might do in the 2012 NBA draft.

Common interwebs knowledge says the ‘Cats will draft either Kansas star Thomas Robinson, or North Carolina stand-out Harrison Barnes with the second pick of the draft. But, Florida guard Bradley Beal shot the lights out in his workout with the Bobcats, and his name is being mentioned frequently when it comes to the number two pick.

Then there are the trade rumors.

The number two pick for Rudy Gay. #2 for James Harden. A pick swap with Cleveland, Portland or Houston. Milwaukee has even been in talks with Charlotte for that pick.

If Kidd-Gilchrist really didn’t impress Bobcats management, then I think Charlotte really needs to do everything it can to trade their pick. Rudy Gay might be a risk, but on this roster he’d score 25 points a game easily and bring at least a little bit of credibility and name recognition to the Queen City. James Harden would be the ultimate prize, but swapping the #2 for Portland’s 6 and 11 or Houston’s 14 and 16 and a player wouldn’t be bad options either.

An intriguing trade possibility is Charlotte’s #2 to Cleveland for the fourth and 24th picks in the 2012 NBA draft. At four the Bobcats could still nab Beal, Kidd-Gilchrist or Harrison Barnes. Then with the 24th they could grab a guy like Royce White or Jeff Taylor, or trade that pick for a future pick.

The terryfing thing with this situation is not the crazy number of possibilities presented to Charlotte right now, but what the outcome of those possibilities will be.

If they stay at two, the Bobcats could  waste that pick on a guy who ends up like all their previous top five picks; Out of the league entirely or out of the collective minds of NBA fans.

If they trade the pick, Robinson, MKG, Beal or Barnes could turn into superstars.

Even with all the leaked trade talk and possible draft choice info, no one really knows what Charlotte is going to do.

What most people do know, though, is that if Charlotte screws up in this draft, it’s going to take a long, long time for them to get back to playing decent basketball.