Trade Rumors, Hate ‘Em

“Gerald Wallace, packing his bags for Cleveland for a TPE.”

“Gerald Wallace is being traded to Portland for either Andre Miller or Joel Przybilla plus picks and cash.”

“It’s definitely Przybilla”

“Well, Cleveland is out of it…don’t count on them getting Wallace.”

“HAVE YOU HEARD!? CRASH IS GETTING TRADED!”

“Wallace to Portland for Przybilla, picks and cash, nearing completion.”

“WE ARE THE WORST TEAM IN THE WORLD.  MICHAEL JORDAN IS AN IDIOT AND WE’RE REBUILDING! AGAIN!”

“Sources: Wallace to Portland, still trying to figure out the players going back to Charlotte.”

“I told you he wasn’t worth much.  Przybilla, picks and cash?  Salary dump….the Bobcats are broke!  We’re screwed.”

“Charlotte – Portland talks for Gerald Wallace are cooling, sources say.  ‘Cats pulling back with one source saying MJ is getting cold feet.”

This is what my phone looks like,

between UberSoc and BBIM and Texts.  My twitter feed has been driving me nuts all day.  I’ve been up on ladders and I have concrete dust in my eyebrows.  I get down, check my phone and it’s that.  It’s chaos, busy, rumor chasing, “have you heard,” “what do you think,” then I have to confirm or deny.  Check and then check it again.  I don’t understand it.

I’ve been trying to figure out where these leaks start.  I don’t want to be a spoil-sport, because aparently people love these rumors, but I hate it.  I don’t want leaks or rumors or discussion.  Let me know when it’s done.  I can dissect something real and concrete, I don’t know what the hell to do with a rumor.  It’s a product of “social media” blogs, the 24 hour news cycle, first is best journalism, whatever else you want to blame.  But it sucks for guys like me that want truth and substance, and hits.  It makes me, as a blogger and tweeter, angry that the attention is draw by leakers and people who pass on bogus, fabricated info.

Rick Bonnell of the Observer, who umm, as you might hear from me, time to time, kinda sucks, Ricky B gave a rundown on News 14’s SportsNight with Mike Solarte.  He said that the Bobcats approached Portland back in mid-December (Larry Brown was still coach, if that tells you something).  Portland checked Gerald Wallace out, physically, personality, probably watched some game film.  They proceeded to make a low-ball offer back then.  It was tabled, but if you figure somebody wants to sell you something, doesn’t like what you offer, you can go back and up your offer.  So, trade deadline, the West playoff picture opens up with Williams and Anthony headed to the greater NYC area, Portland might up their offer.  Umm, not enough.

So how does this effect us, the fans?  We get all wound up, thinking the front office is completely lost that they’d consider this trade.  We get pissed that the best, most storied player in this franchise’s short history, is possibly being shipped out for Joel Przybilla/Andre Miller, picks and cash?  What the whating what?  Then, I don’t know about you but my brain starts picking it apart.

Here’s how it went in my head:  Why would the Bobcats do a salary dump?  Przybilla is an expiring contract, Andre Miller’s contract isn’t guaranteed next year.  Picks are always good, so is cash….Wait, are the Bobcats low on money?  Are they really hurting so bad that they’d get rid of maybe the one guy that is a draw on his own?  Seriously, every player that has been universally loved by the fanbase (give or take some nutjobs) has been traded, allowed to walk, or hasn’t worked out one way or another.  How many DJ Augustin jerseys do you see?  What about Stephen Jackson?  Certainly no Boris Diaw fans.  It’s sad when you see Sean May, Raymond Felton, God forbid an Emeka Okafor jersey.  I wonder how many Gerald Wallace jerseys and bobble heads and posters are in kids’ rooms all over the Carolinas and beyond?  There must be serious issues.

Then my mind goes to what caused the roster and money issues?  Well it’s got to be Diop, Mohammed, or some other ridiculous player.  How did we get in this mess?  Well let’s see:  Sam Vincent pitched a fit in his one season, begging for a “big.”  We traded out Walter Herrmann!  Banana hands and freakin’ Primoz for Nazr!  Then Larry Brown came in.  Traded a first rounder to take freakin’ Ajinca!  Traded out Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison for damn Vlad Radmonovic!!!  Larry screwed us big time, we had to let Okafor go, had to let Raymond walk in free agency!  Even getting Jackson put us in a spot with 2 guys very similar and on the books for years in place of Vlad, who would come of the books this year and Raja who is cheap for what he gives you…for what?  One year in the playoffs?  One year and then we’re screwed for the next five in exchange for the right to be swept by Orlando?!  Jordan really is an idiot.

Then the trade goes away, just disappears into thin air.  Was it legit to begin with?  It’s fine when we’re talking about Atlanta moving to get Henrich from Washington or even that whole Carmelo circus for the last few months.  You know, it’s entertainment, until it becomes an effect of the team you root for, that you’ve put time and effort into and that you’ve shelled out your hard earned dollars to go see them play.  It’s also, as a blogger and a person who writes intently on the subject, dishonest and unreliable.

Hey, if it goes down, there are reasons.  We might be screwed for years, who knows?  Michael Jordan and the front office guys know, but they won’t tell us.  It’s slightly irresponsible to report all these rumors, because we’re fans and fans is short for fanatic.  Fanatic is like right beside lunatic in the psychologist hierarchy of psychoses.  You give out this information, it’s like taking a psycho off their meds, not a good idea!