Who doesn't like to play GM with their favorite team? Who wouldn't love the opportunity to build a team from scratch? That is the opportunity that Bernie Bickerstaff gets over the course of the next year. June should be a busy month for him with a mere 2 days between the expansion draft (June 22) and the NBA draft (June 24). Sure they aren't going to be good right away, but they could be real fun to watch in the offseason. So while I will never displace the Celtics at the top of my rooting chart, there is room in there for a secondary team. Why not take the one starting from scratch? I'm hereby adopting the Bobcats as my B team.

So who could be on the team? Marty Burns names a bunch of overpriced stiffs that will be left unprotected in the draft, but don't count on them being picked up without being offered a little filthy lucre to sweeten the deal. You see, they have the right to pick up a player and waive them immediately. They can take draft picks and up to $3M in cash as incentive to do so. Basically they'll be the belle of the ball this June, and there'll be a lot of desperate GMs looking to dance.

So in addition to stockpiling draft picks, I'd look for a few names to be considered for the Bobcats roster. Guys like Elden Campbell, Rodney White, Ron Mercer, Marcus Fizer, Anthony Peeler, Jahidi White, Jumaine Jones, Larry Hughes, Melvin Ely and others could make the squad via the expansion draft or free agency. If they wanted to roll the dice on a max contract guy (they do have a salary floor as well as a salary cap) then they could grab a Eddie Jones or Brian Grant. Are those names something to get excited about? Well, no. But they will also have the 4th pick in the draft, and probably a lot more once they get done wheeling and dealing. Stay tuned after May 5th when they get to start talking to GMs around the league and the fun begins. We'll check back on them then.

Update: Mark Stein of ESPN is now speculating that the Mavs would be interested in swaping Antawn Jamison for the number 4 pick. Don't know how all that would work out salary-wise, but it is interesting.

By the way, I don't know what sparked all this Bobcats stuff in the media today. I got the idea to post about it from the SI article. Then ESPN comes out with a full front page blow out of all this stuff (much of it on insider). Crazy.

Go Bobcats!