Charles Oakley Joins the Bobcats; Baron Davis Next?

by Marcel Mutoni@marcel_mutoni

I suppose the big news out of Charlotte yesterday is that the team has a new head coach, and Larry Brown is a free agent once again. That’s all fine and well for this mess of a squad.

What truly matters though, is that Charles Oakley has an NBA gig again. He will join his best bud Michael Jordan as a member of the Bobcats’ coaching staff (he has no coaching experience, but that’s irrelevant right now. Oak is back, baby!)

MJ isn’t done wheeling and dealing; there are reports that he’s looking to transform his roster rather dramatically. Yahoo! and FanHouse have the rumors:

League sources told FanHouse that Jordan has discussed a trade that would send beloved small forward Gerald Wallace to Portland with center DeSagana Diop and point guard D.J. Augustin in exchange for center Marcus Camby and point guard Andre Miller. And while the Blazers are exploring a litany of their own options and don’t appear eager to do the deal as of now, the discussion that is one of many being had by the Bobcats reveals plenty about the sort of the on-court changes Jordan has in mind for his club.

He wants a point guard not named D.J. Augustin who comes with a veteran’s resume and a veteran big man who produces on both ends of the floor. But it’s the final prerequisite that is by far the most problematic for most scenarios being considered, as he wants to significantly cut future salary just in time for the new landscape that will come with a new collective bargaining agreement.

Silas is a long way removed from the NBA – and longer from his late 1990s success in Charlotte. And if bringing back Silas isn’t retro enough for everyone, how about Silas’ old Hornets point guard, Baron Davis? Jordan is considering a trade proposal that would send Augustin, DeSagana Diop and Matt Carroll to the Los Angeles Clippers for Davis, a league source told Yahoo! Sports. The Clippers have desperately tried to trade Davis and have included him in proposals with center Chris Kaman.

Whoever ends up joining the team better be prepared to hustle for the demanding head coach and team owner.

But even more importantly, they should pay up on time whenever they lose during those high-stakes dice games. Oak doesn’t usually ask twice about a gambling debt.