Apr 18, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Brendan Haywood (33) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Rockets 117-110. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

The Charlotte Bobcats have claimed center Brendan Haywood off waivers.

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks used their one time amnesty clause on Haywood, who scored 5.2 points and grabbed six rebounds in 22 minutes a game last season.

The 7’0″ North Carolina native finished 2012 with a 101 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) and ended the year with a .114 win-share-per-48 (estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player per 48 minutes), good for 14 points above the league average.

Haywood isn’t going to give the Bobcats an inside scoring threat, but he will give them a presence in the middle that they sorely lacked last year. He’s a good defender and has a career per-36 rebounding average of 9.4.

The Bobcats are still looking to solidify the PF spot on their roster. They have three players on their radar right now: Luis Scola, who was recently amnestied by the Rockets, Antwan Jamison who is deciding whether to take less money to play for a contender or more money to play for his home town team, and Carl Landry, who is an unrestricted free agent.

If Charlotte can land one of those three guys, at the very least, they will field a competitive roster next season.

April 21, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets power forward Luis Scola (4) shoots a free throw against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE

I’m not a fan of those Bleacher Report “(Insert team name here) Must Do This!” type of posts, but if there was ever a time for one of those articles, it’s now. The Charlotte Bobcats MUST grab Luis Scola off waivers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are interested, as are the Dallas Mavericks. Both of those teams already have quality power forwards. The Charlotte Bobcats do not (no offense to Bismack Biyombo and Byron Mullens. Nice off the bench, not in the starting lineup). The Mavs have $4 million left to work with this off season, so if Charlotte or Cleveland wants him, they’re going to have to put in a bid above that number. Cleveland might put in a $5 million bid, so what’s the harm in the Bobcats going with $5.5 million or $6 million?

That money for a guy who’s a career 17 point, 9 rebound a game player is chump change. It’s also a necessary risk for a team who could lose out on every single PF free agent they’ve targeted this off season (Hickson, Jamison, Humphries etc).

Carl Landry is available, but he’s an unrestricted free agent, and can pick the team he wants to go to.

The Bobcats need to talk to Antwan Jamison and tell him he’s their guy, but if he can’t commit, they’re going to focus their attention on landing Scola.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffrey Taylor look like they’ll be solid NBA players, Ben Gordon will be instant offense off the bench behind Gerald Henderson, and Ramon Sessions was a nice pickup at PG. If Charlotte can get Scola and sign a true starting center (Brendan Haywood), the Queen City will see competitive basketball next year.

May 18, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Ramon Sessions (7) celebrates after scoring a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of game three of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

The Charlotte Bobcats have finally made some moves in free agency.

Former Myrtle Beach High School star Ramon Sessions signed a two year deal with the Bobcats, probably worth around $4.4 million (the qualifying offer Charlotte rescinded from D.J. Augustin).  In 19 starts for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Sessions scored 12.7 points, dished out 6.7 assists and grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game.

Augustin scored 11.1 points, dished 6.4 assists and grabbed 2.3 rebounds a game for Charlotte last year.

As a replacement, Sessions does have the better numbers, but it’s somewhat shocking the Bobcats didn’t try to work a sign and trade with a team that really needed a point guard. The Indiana Pacers nabbed Augustin off the market just one hour after he became an unrestricted free agent. Surely Charlotte could’ve got something back for him.

The Bobcats are still in desperate need of a proven player at the power forward spot and anyone who can play (true) center.

Charlotte’s number one option at center is Brendon Haywood who could be picked up off the waiver wire. The Mavs amnestied Haywoood, taking his remaining $35 million off their books (they still have to pay the remainder of that minus whatever the team that picks him up off the wire pays him). Teams under the cap have first dibs at amnestied players, and the Bobcats are expected to put in a serious bid for him.

Another amnestied player could be the guy Charlotte is looking for at PF. Elton Brand won’t be with the 76ers next season, because they’re going to use the one-time amnesty clause on him to clear cap space. The Bobcats will have serious competition with the Dallas Mavericks on this bid; The Mavs have had one of the worst off seasons of any team this year, and they’re in desperate need of proven players to surround Dirk Nowitzki.

The three other players the Bobcats are interested in at power forward are Antwan Jamison (who is deciding between signing for not so much money with a contender, taking more money to be part of a sign and trade that would send him to New Jersey, or taking the most money to play in his home town, Charlotte) and Kris Humphries (who’s probably going to end up in Brooklyn; The nets have reportedly offered Humphries a 3-year, $23 million deal while the Bobcats only offered a 3-year $22 million deal. The Nets are better, and offering more money… kind of a no-brainer).

The most likely PF candidate to end up in Charlotte is Jamison, but don’t count out his desire to get a ring when penciling him in as the Bobcats starting 4 next season. He’s seriously considering playing for the Lakers in 2013.

There could always be more wrinkles, twists, and turns thrown into this off season, but right now, those are the moves Charlotte is pushing.

Check out this tweet, that may have sparked the, now, running joke on Twitter:

It’s gonna be a tough year for the Dallas Bobcats.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayliss) July 5, 2012

Skip certainly has beef with the Mavericks, after owner Mark Cuban tore him apart and sewed him back together inside-out on ESPN’s First Take. But, there are plenty of other people on Twitter who Cuban hasn’t publically skewered, and they agree with Bayliss’s sentiment.

How bad are things for Mavs in Dallas? The Bobcats just sent a condolence letter and asked if there was any way they could help.

— Jennifer Floyd Engel (@engeljen) July 5, 2012

Dallas gonna end up like the bobcats if we keep lettin all these key players go

— Lil Engine Dat Did (@ShaneDaTrackMan) July 6, 2012

The mavericks and the bobcats would be a good match-up now. ahahaha.. #poordirk

— John White (@J_White0) July 6, 2012

In the past, if the Bobcats were mentioned in the same regard as the Mavericks, Charlotte fans would’ve rejoiced… Now they just laugh with the rest of the nation at the seemingly endless joke that has become the Dallas Mavericks this off season.

Poor Dirk indeed.