1. Raja Bell probably won’t report. He’s playing for a contract next year and he’s not going to get consistent minutes in Golden State (because no one does). I’m guessing Bell asks for a contract buyout and tries to sign-on with the Knicks, Phoenix, or possibly New Orleans. Bell wouldn’t get the most run in Phoenix, but he might enjoy a reunion with his former teammates (and they could use his defense).
2. It should be crystal-clear by now that Okafor was NOT traded because of money. During the summer, Charlotte shipped Okafor to New Orleans under the guise of “cap flexibility.” However, Okafor was rumored to be a player that Larry Brown really didn’t like because of his attitude and unwillingness to play even slightly hurt. Seeing how poorly Okafor has fit in with the Hornets, it looks like Charlotte outsmarted New Orleans and most of the pundits. Good show.
3. Stephen Jackson will do well under Larry Brown…for a while. Stephen Jackson will likely thrive in Charlotte for the rest of the year. Larry Brown knows how to reach disgruntled vets (see Rasheed Wallace), and he commands respect. Jackson will be the focal point of the offense, with G-Wallace and Diaw being nice complementary players. However, once the Bobcats miss the playoffs and/or get trounced in the first round, Jackson will start crabbing about finding a new home.
4. Charlotte might just like Acie Law, and Acie Law should be ecstatic. Law won’t see much time on the court, but he should be excited. There is no finer point-guard coach in the NBA than Larry Brown. Even if Law doesn’t crack the rotation, the practices can help him salvage his career. He might even be able to secure a contract as a backup next summer (see below).
5. Ray Felton is looking more and more like a goner. Felton held out this summer for a big deal, and Charlotte decided the best move was to let Felton become a free agent next year. With Stephen Jackson holding down the SG slot for the next 2 to 4 years, Felton’s value to Charlotte as a combo guard is diminished. D.J. Augustin is going to continue to improve, and Felton will likely become an expensive luxury that Charlotte won’t be able to keep next year. Therefore, I expect Felton to be shopped this year pretty heavily.
6. The Warriors will still suck. Blaming all the problems on Jackson is convenient, but the damage has been done. Nellie isn’t capable of leading this team, and Jackson has illustrated that clearly for the last month. The young players in Golden State will never fully respect their coach, and that means the team will stink.

If only Golden State could have traded Nellie’s contract too.

So who will it be – which big will the Clippers trade for a swingman? The consensus choice is to move Kaman. Kaman and Randolph don’t really complement each other (at least on paper), whereas Camby and Randolph seem like they can balance each other fairly well. So where will Kaman go?

Here’s a list of potential trade partners:

• Charlotte seems like a perfect match. Gerald Wallace is a top-notch SF, Kaman is a top-notch PF/C. Neither is a superstar, but both could be in the right situation. This move likely makes both teams a little better. Still, you have to wonder why this deal hasn’t happened already. Perhaps Charlotte isn’t quite ready to part with Gerald Wallace…or perhaps there are some pieces involved that can’t be traded until the 15th of December.

• Chicago is intriguing. The Bulls need a scoring big (Tyrus Thomas is still very raw and Noah isn’t capable of becoming a scoring threat), and they have exactly what the Clippers need in Andres Nocioni and Ben Gordon. Gordon has made no secret of his desire to leave Chicago, and Nocioni is a luxury Chicago likely can’t afford (not with Deng’s humongous contract). Still, the chances of this deal being made during the season are slim. Gordon loses his Bird rights if he’s traded, and considering just how much he thinks he’s worth, that’s not going to happen (Gordon can veto an in-season trade). If this deal did go down next year, both teams would be much better.

• What about the Wizards? The Wizards look like a team blowing apart. Losses are stacking up, Gilbert Arenas is talking about the positives of ending up in the lottery, and the Eastern Conference isn’t getting any softer. The Wizards haven’t been very competitive playing three perimeter all-stars in the playoffs, so maybe they should shake things up and swap Caron Butler for Kaman. Losing “tough juice” would be hard for the fans in Washington, but playing an inside-out game with Agent Zero and Kaman (with Tawn’ around to knock down open jumpers and create mismatches) would be much more traditional. It would be a bold move for the Wizards (Butler might just be the glue that holds the team together), but what they’ve been doing isn’t working. LA ends up with the best prize in this deal – a tough defender and able scorer that knows how to work with an egomaniac.

Of course, the Clippers could move Camby. His deal wouldn’t bring them as much in the way of superstar talent, but he would definitely help fill-in some of the team’s gaps. Perhaps the critics (me included) will see that Kaman and Randolph can play together. Perhaps that’s what the Clippers are hoping for too.

No matter what happens, Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby are leaving Clipperland within the next year – likely before the trade deadline.

San Antonio NEEDS to get involved in the Gerald Wallace trade sweepstakes – he’s exactly what they need. A dynamic scorer and a solid defender, he’s got a great work ethic and he understands the Spurs ‘team-first’ philosophy. Not to mention the fact that Wallace gives the Spurs a decent chance of winning some games while Manu Ginobili (and now Tony Parker) recover.

Even better, Gerald Wallace is a player that wouldn’t cost the Spurs hardly anything.

Tell me you wouldn’t like to see Gerald Wallace, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan face off against the Hornets or the Lakers in the playoffs?

Here’s how San Antonio can get their hands on Gerald Wallace:

1. Get the Knicks involved. The Knicks would likely part with David Lee if it would also get rid of Eddy Curry, and the Spurs could send a draft pick NY’s way to make them feel good about it.

2. Get Larry Brown and Michael Jordan excited. This one doesn’t seem to hard – Okafor is a big-time rebounder and defender who struggles to score. Curry is a solid offensive player who can’t defend or rebound. Put them together and you’ve got a decent PF/C combination. Bring David Lee and Sean May off the bench and you’ve got a solid 2nd unit. Dare I say it, but Charlotte’s frontcourt might even be enviable.

3. Remind NY that they can’t hire Lebron if they don’t dump salary. Losing David Lee will likely be a hard pill to swallow, but the Knicks have got to realize that Lee is going to expect a solid contract before next season. Besides, isn’t getting rid of Curry a top priority? (except for maybe getting rid of Marbury?)

4. Part ways with two defensive stalwarts. San Antonio would need to send out about $8 million in contracts to get Wallace, and the only players that they can trade this early in the season that make any significant amount of money are Oberto and Bowen. After December 15th, a few more players are available to trade…but Wallace might be gone by then.

Here’s how the deal goes down:

1. Knicks send Curry and David Lee to Charlotte
2. Charlotte sends Wallace to San Antonio
3. San Antonio sends Oberto, Bowen, a small contract (Vaughan maybe?), and a draft pick to NY.

The Knicks will need to waive someone to make a deal, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Once a buyout is reached with Bowen and/or Oberto, they can bring back whoever they waived (maybe they can even bring Patrick Ewing Jr. back).

This deal makes a lot of sense for San Antonio, makes decent sense for the Knicks (cap space), and is possibly sensible for Charlotte. I think this trade’s got a shot…