June 1, 2012; Westwego, LA, USA; A detailed view of the winning lottery ball combination (6-4-9-7) and the winning envelope from the NBA draft lottery for the New Orleans Hornets at a press conference at the Alario Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Since this is a Bobcats blog, lets start off with the ongoing drama surrounding Charlotte and Cleveland.

From Ohio.com:

“The Cavs have to decide whether they want Beal, and if so, whether it’s worth trading up to ensure snagging him… The Washington Wizards, selecting above the Cavs at No. 3, insist their trade that brought small forward Trevor Ariza won’t affect their draft board. They’ve been high on Beal and Michael Kidd-
Gilchrist all along.”

The Cavs and Bobcats want to make a trade. But there are a few teams that NEED to make a trade if they want to pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft.

The Brooklyn Nets are one of them, and they are looking to get into the first round according to SI.com:

“The Brooklyn Nets are looking to make a splash with their move across the state line. Apparently that includes a new first-round draft pick to show off to fans, according to a tweet from HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy… The Charlotte Bobcats and Oklahoma City Thunder, with selections numbered 2 and 28 respectively, have both indicated a desire to part with their draft picks.”

It would take a whole lot for the Nets to move up to #2, but they might be able to work something out with OKC.

The Portland Trail Blazers could significantly improve their roster if they make the right choices with the #6 and #11 picks in the 2012 NBA draft. According to Yahoo! Spots, neither of them should be spent on Jared Sullinger:

“The red flag that some NBA doctors have assigned to Ohio State prospect Jared Sullinger should become enough to keep the Portland Trail Blazers away… I think that the Blazers really need to focus on getting a center and a point guard in the draft and that the team should not consider picking up Sullinger when he is still on the board at No. 11. Most NBA mock drafts have had Sullinger getting selected before that point, but it’s also very possible that he could drop out of the first round after these medical revelations.”

The 2012 NBA draft is just four days away, and some teams might not know what they’re going to do until they’re on the clock. Trade talk will heat up this week, and some moves might even be made before Thursday night.

April 21, 2011, Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy (7) holds the ball away from Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry (31) in the third quarter of game three of the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Rose Garden. Portland defeated Dallas, 97-92. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

Brand Roy took to twitter (on a friend’s account) Friday night so he could field fans’ questions and put out the news that he’s seeking a comeback sooner rather than later.

Hoops World has a great run down of his tweets here, but what Roy’s basically saying is that he wants to play earlier than the 2014-15 season (when he’d be eligible to return to the Portland Trail Blazers.

“I’m looking to return sooner” Roy tweeted, “Thanks for your support. I’m fortunate to have played for such a great fan base. No matter where I play, Portland will always have a special place in my heart.”

The Hoops World article says Roy is preparing to come back as early as next season.

It’s hard to figure out where Roy could land so early on in the process. He probably won’t command too large of a salary since he did retire because of bad knee issues. Even so, he proved he could at the very least come off the bench and will a team to victory on those bad knees.

May 8, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson leaves the court at the end of game four against the Dallas Mavericks for the second round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Mavs beat the Lakers 122-86. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Apparently there “might be” a job that could lure Phil Jackson out of retirement.

At least that’s what the future Hall of Fame coach told HBO’s real sports in an interview that will air Tuesday night.

Jackson says the Knicks job didn’t appeal to him, because New York’s roster is “clumsy”.

He says Amare Stoudemire has “to play in a certain system and a way,” and that “Carmelo (Anthony) has to be a better passer. The ball can’t stop every time it hits his hands.”

He said the Knicks didn’t contact him before making Mike Woodson their full-time head coach.

Orlando didn’t appeal to him because it’s too far away from his home in Montana.

I wonder if Miami would be too far, if say, Erik Spoelstra bows out of the NBA Finals for a second straight year without a title.

Honestly, there probably aren’t that many jobs Jackson would take. He’s not up for a rebuilding job like Charlotte or Portland, and there aren’t many competitors ready to let go of their head coach right now.

Jackson will probably stay out of the league for another year or two, until the PERFECT situation arises.

January 18, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw watches from the bench during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Power Balance Pavilion. The Kings defeated the Pacers 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

I wrote a few things yesterday explaining that recent rumblings that the Charlotte Bobcats looking at a trade for James Harden and Jerry Sloan taking himself out of the ‘Cats coaching search were good signs for Brian Shaw if he wanted the job.

Well, it’s debatable as to whether or not he does want the job. Portland and Orlando both have coaching vacancies, and neither went 7-59 last year.

Sports Illustrated says Quin Snyder is the favorite to become the next coach in Charlotte, because Shaw prefers the Orlando job.

But, Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated, tweeted: “I’m told that Brian Shaw has not pulled himself out of the running for the Charlotte job, FWIW. Stay tuned.”

Who knows what Charlotte is going to do, but if it comes down to Shaw pulling out and Snyder being the guy by default, I’d open up the search for another week.

Snyder hasn’t done ANYTHING as a head coach at Missouri/the D League or an assistant (short of becoming friends with Kobe Bryant) that convinces anyone he’d even be a mediocre head coach in the NBA. It’d be Sam Vincent 2.0. It’d be the coaching equivalent of drafting Adam Morrison. It’d be a disaster.

If Shaw doesn’t want the job, the ‘Cats should open this thing back up, and give it to the guy I wanted them to hire from day one: Nate McMillan.

If a team outside the top 5 wants to draft one of these guys, they're going to have to give up a lot.

Word around the sports universe is the Charlotte Bobcats are actively shopping the second pick of the NBA draft. The other word floating around there is that the Bobcats are asking too much for that pick.

But, how much is too much?

It is true that after Anthony Davis there isn’t a surefire franchise-changer in this draft. It’s also true that the players who will be drafted at spots two through six don’t have much separation between them.

Most people following the story agree that Charlotte is probably asking for at least two picks in return for the second pick, as well as requesting that their trade partner take on the salary of either Corey Maggette, Gana Diop or Tyrus Thomas.

Depending on who they make a deal with, those demands could be a little unreasonable…  OR, they could make a fair trade.

There are two teams with one pick in the top ten and another pick outside that range that the Bobcats would love to make a deal with.

Cleveland has picks four and 24. They don’t have much else worth trading for (that they’d be willing to give up, anyway). Trading their two picks and taking on a salary dump is the only way the Cavs could get Charlotte’s second overall pick.

The Portland Trailblazers, however, own the sixth and 11th picks. To give up both those picks and take on a mediocre (Thomas), over-the-hill (Maggette) or horrible (Diop) basketball player would be a bit of a stretch just to move up to the second spot in the 2012 NBA draft.

A trade could still happen, though. Pick two for picks six and 11 might still be a stretch, but if Portland wants to move up and get their man (some say Thomas Robinson, some say Michael Kidd-Gilchrist), they would have to consider that deal.

The other teams with multiple picks in this year’s draft don’t really have much wiggle-room if they want to make a deal with the Bobcats.

Houston has two mid level picks (14 and 16), so Charlotte is going to insist on receiving both of those picks and they’re probably not going to make a deal unless the Rockets take on someone like Thomas/Maggette/Diop. If I were Charlotte, though, I would ask for pick 14 and Goran Dragic in return for pick two and Thomas/Maggette/Diop, and I’d definitely consider that deal even if the Rockets wouldn’t take one of those three guys.

The Warriors also have two picks in this year’s draft (seven and 30). There’s no way Charlotte gives up the second pick solely for Golden State’s two first rounders, though. It would be hard to make the salaries match up in a trade involving players, though, so it’s hard to speculate on a deal that would work.

Boston has two picks, but they don’t seem interested in moving up, so it looks like if the second pick is going to be dealt, the team that gets it will also have to burden themselves with a high salary/low skill player.

Apr 26, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA Charlotte Bobcats point guard Kemba Walker (1) goes up for a shot during the second half against the New York Knicks at Time Warner Cable Arena. The New York Knicks defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 104-84. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

Once Charlotte lost out on drafting Anthony Davis with the top pick in the 2012 NBA draft, it was inevitable that Rich Cho and company would shop the second pick around.

The rumor with the most steam right now is #2 for Rudy Gay. It’d be pretty ironic if Jordan makes that trade, since he had the opportunity to draft him a couple years ago. Instead of Gay, he picked Adam Morrison.

I don’t think Charlotte should make that trade straight up, but I do think there are a few other scenarios that could happen.

First, Cleveland is looking to move up in the draft and if they could they’d love to get Charlotte’s #2 pick. The teams would swap picks (#2 for #4), but after that things would get tricky. Cleveland doesn’t have many players on its roster worth trading for and they probably won’t give up another first round pick. The Bobcats should offer Corey Maggette and his expiring contract to try and pry that 2013 first rounder away from the Cavs, though.

If Charlotte can get Cleveland’s first rounder this and next year for the second overall pick and Corey Magette, they should pull the trigger.

 Another possible trade partner is the Portland Trail Blazers, who have the sixth and 11th picks of the 2012 NBA draft. Word on the street is Portland really likes Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and he’s probably going to be gone by pick six.

A trade could be pulled off by a simple swap of the second pick for the sixth and the 11th, but Charlotte would probably throw in Corey Magette and his expiring contract as well.

If Portland doesn’t want to surrender both picks, something like the second pick for the sixth and Wesley Matthews might work, although the Trail Blazers are really high on him.

Another team with multiple draft picks is the Houston Rockets. They’ve got numbers 14 and 16, and the Bobcats might be able to entice them into a trade. Houston could really use a guy like Thomas Robinson or Andre Drummond, and Charlotte could really use two picks in this draft.

The Bobcats would also probably want a player back, since the picks they’d receive are in the middle of the draft. Goran Dragic might be too much too ask, but he would pretty much seal the deal.

There aren’t many other possible trades that make a lot of sense for Charlotte and their potential partner. The Knicks are looking to get into the first round, but it would take something crazy for them to make a deal with the ‘Cats. Utah and Brooklyn also don’t have first rounders, but a trade with either of those teams seems impossible.

Trade talk will only increase as we march closer to draft day, and in the end the Bobcats might just keep the number two pick. But it just wouldn’t  make sense not to shop the thing around.