Earl Watson to Charlotte?
A report in Sunday’s editions of the Boston Globe cited a league source who said the Thunder is involved in a three-team trade that would send Earl Watson to the Charlotte Bobcats. The report did not indicate which player or players Oklahoma City would get in the deal, which would also send Bobcats guard Raymond Felton to Dallas and Mavs center DeSagana Diop to Charlotte.
General manager Sam Presti couldn’t be reached for comment on the report. The Thunder, however, likely could be interested in Bobcats shooting guard Matt Carroll, a sixth year veteran sharpshooter who carries a career 40.3 percent shooting clip from 3-point range.
In addition to possibly providing the Thunder with a much-needed perimeter shooter, Carroll, 28, has a cost-efficient salary that would not jeopardize the team’s surplus of cap space over the next two summers. Carroll is due $12.9 million over the next three seasons and has a $3.5 million player option for the 2012-13 season. Rather than annual raises, Carroll’s contract is front loaded, with about $400,000 coming off his annual salary throughout the life of the deal.
Because of Carroll’s salary, he would become another low-risk, high-reward addition for the Thunder after Nenad Krstic signed a relatively cheap deal on Dec. 30 and Presti traded Johan Petro and a 2009 second-round pick for Chucky Atkins and a 2009 first-round draft pick last week. Carroll had gotten lost in the shuffle this season after the Bobcats added guard Jason Richardson last year and rookie D.J. Augustin this year.
Carroll is averaging just 14.1 minutes, 4.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists, the lowest figures since his rookie season. But in 26.1 minutes per game two seasons ago, Carroll averaged 12.1 points 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 41.6 percent from behind the 3-point line. He shot 43.6 percent from 3 last season and averaged nine points in 25.2 minutes per game.
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Comments
Cheers to Presti for working the salary cap numbers and accumulating the draft picks.
However, let’s hope he’s better in the draft than when he took Westbrook 4th overall. That’s the worst draft pick I’ve seen in quite some time. People get excited by Westbrook’s dunks and point to the numbers. Fine, and good luck to him. But he’s not a point guard, he doesn’t see the court, he dribbles with his head down and he’s undersized as a two guard. Wasn’t Chris Paul taken 4th overall? Can you imagine more of a night and day difference between two point guards taken at the same spot?
Maybe there was a reason he was an “unheralded guard from the PAC-10.”
I know you love Presit, color me unimpressed. I’ll take a wait and see approach. This team could easily be the midwest version of the Clippers. A motley group of projects and “upside” players that never amounts to much.
Watson proved Saturday that he’s a very good, smart point guard. I definitely would not give him away for nothing.
Collison looked good also.
Go Thunder!!
But why?????