Baron The (Charlotte) Bobcat?
According to a report by Yahoo Sports, the Los Angeles Clippers are looking to move veteran guard Baron Davis, as he has been "replaced" in a sense by rookie Eric Bledsoe, newcomer Randy Foye and Eric Gordon.
Davis, who also came into training camp injured, is now expected to miss time as he rests a sore knee.
Head coach Vinny Del Negro has publicly said that he is not happy with Davis being out, but has to be happy with the production of rookie Blake Griffin, Bledsoe and Gordon, who has taken the league by storm so far in this very young NBA season.
However, if the Clippers are looking to move Davis, a team that it is a dire need of a guard are the Charlotte Bobcats who are relying on D.J. Augustin, Shaun Livingston and undrafted rookie guard Sherron Collins, who played college basketball at the University of Kansas.
Here are three reasons why the Charlotte Bobcats should look to acquire veteran guard Baron Davis, who can still be an effective player in the right situation.
No. 1: The Bobcats Need Another Guard
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The Bobcats are in need of another guard as D.J. Augustin has not played consistently. The Bobcats have gotten off to a rough start this season, and it may get only harder from here on out.
After Augustin, the Bobcats have Shaun Livingston (young player coming back after a serious knee injury) and undrafted rookie Sherron Collins (young player) on the depth chart. With the addition of Davis, head coach Larry Brown will have a proven veteran guard that can shoot the ball and run the offense alongside Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace.
With Davis handling the guard duties, it will free-up Jackson, and he does not have to become the primary ball handler. Jackson then can play his natural position as a shooter, and that may open things up for Gerald Wallace and inside for both Boris Diaw and Tyrus Thomas.
No. 2: The Clippers Don't Need Him
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The Los Angeles Clippers do not have a need for Davis any longer, due to the play of rookie Eric Bledsoe and Eric Gordon. Randy Foye, who was signed in the offseason, is also out with injuries, and it is still unknown how many minutes he will be playing this season after the recent play of both Bledsoe and Gordon.
Davis has not been healthy so far, and as a result, he has not gotten any minutes on the court. The Clippers have a new Big Three (Blake Griffin, Gordon and Bledsoe) that head coach Vinny Del Negro appears to have a lot of confidence in.
This could be a new era for the franchise with another Big Three forming in Los Angeles.
No. 3: Both Teams Have Big Contracts To Swap
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Davis has a horrible contract that may be difficult to trade, but the Bobcats may be able to coax the Clippers into taking on a “big” contract in exchange—a contract like that of Matt Carroll or DeSagana Diop.
Otherwise, they have the expiring contracts of big man Nazr Mohammed and the contract of Boris Diaw that could be moved once more, as he does cause matchup problems.
The Bobcats appear to be always looking to make moves, and Davis would fill the immediate need of guard depth. Also, Davis can be the starting point guard or eventually play off the bench behind Augustin, if that is what Brown ultimately decides is best for his rotation.
No. 4: The Clippers Don't Need The Distraction
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The Los Angeles Clippers do not want Davis to become a distraction for the team, and at the same time do not want to hinder the growth of youngsters Bledsoe and Gordon.
Davis is a great guy and is not a trouble-maker that will hold the team hostage, but the sooner he is moved the better it is for the team, as they can move on to another era of basketball in Clipperland.
By moving Davis (the sooner the better), the team can move on and both guards can play with the utmost confidence. When Foye does return from injury, it will be interesting to see where he will play minutes, but he will most likely play at both guard spots.
