March 24, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Florida Gators guard Kenny Boynton (left) sits in the locker room as guard Bradley Beal (23) answers questions from the media after the game in the finals of the west region of the 2012 NCAA men

Depending on who you follow on twitter, the Charlotte Bobcats and Cleveland Cavs are either hours away from swapping first round draft picks, or unlikely to make a deal anytime soon.

These two tweets were sent a few hours apart from each other:

Bobcats & Cavaliers now re-engaged in talks for the 2nd overall pick. Sources tell me that deal is all but likely to be completed. #NBADraft

— Legion Sports (@MySportsLegion) June 27, 2012

As of last evening, #Cavaliers had not spoken to the #Bobcats in days about any potential deals.

— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) June 27, 2012

I’m not sure what to believe.

My best guess is that this trade will happen, but not the way everyone thinks it will:

I think Cleveland is going to force Charlotte’s hand and make the Bobcats draft Beal Thursday night, then trade picks four and 24 to the Bobcats for him.

If the Cavs won’t give up any of their second round picks or any of their players in addition #2 and #24, Spencer Percy has a perfect sweetener that the Bobcats would have to pull the trigger on:

and hopefully Tyrus Thomas is included in this deal as well. Sooo, it’s #Bobcats giving #2 & Tyrus for #4, 24….I guess

— Spencer Percy (@QCsportscrave) June 27, 2012

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.

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.

Apr 2, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) shoots over Kansas Jayhawks center Jeff Withey (5) during the finals of the 2012 NCAA men

The Charlotte Bobcats will hold their second round of pre-draft workouts Monday, and some big names will be stopping by.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal will be there, along with a group of players projected to go later on in the draft.

Bobcats beat writer Rick Bonnell tweeted the list earlier:

Others here tomorrow: Quincy Acy – Baylor; Bernard James – Florida State; Darius Johnson-Odom – Marquette; Kris Joseph – Syracuse

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) June 17, 2012

 It’ll be interesting to see how well Acy fairs. He scored 12 points and grabbed 7.4 rebounds per game last year on a loaded Baylor squad. He also finished the year with a blistering 64 percent true shooting percentage.

I like his defensive prowess, as well; During his three years with the Bears, he never finished a single season with a defensive rating higher than 98.9

I still like Kevin Jones or Draymond Green as Charlotte’s second round pick. Both players are being severely undervalued and are ready to play NBA ball right now.