Bye Ammo, Hello Impaler

The Bobcats have completed their third trade of the season, this time sending Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown to the LA Lakers in exchange for Vladimir Radmanovic. The Lakers get some cap space for 2010, and the Bobcats get someone to fill the void that Ammo was intended to fill, a wing player that can shoot and play mediocre defense. When Gerald returns he should offer an excellent additional dimension to the team with his ability to consistently knock down the 3-pointer (career 38.6%). Unlike Boris Diaw, the other big man the Cats have added, Vlad is not a skilled ball handler or distributor, but like Diaw his strength is not on the boards, a consideration that the front office has appeared to ignore in all of the trades this season. With this move there is no debate about the goal of the season and the franchise in the short term. They want to make the playoffs, and have mortgaged any short-term roster flexibility in an attempt to get there.