Miami might soon add another player. Veteran center Erick Dampier has told associates he would prefer to join the Heat if he is released by Charlotte. The Bobcats acquired Dampier and his $13 million, nonguaranteed contract in a five-player trade with Dallas in July. Charlotte is expected to trade or cut Dampier by the end of this week to steer clear of the luxury tax. — Miami Herald
Fun Fact: Dampier has made $95,983,880 over his 14 seasons in the NBA with the Pacers, Warriors and Mavericks.
The Charlotte Bobcats’ best season yet has quickly translated into one of the NBA’s fastest growing season-ticket bases. And the team’s list of corporate sponsors also continues to grow rapidly. The Bobcats, who reached the playoffs for the first time in their six-year history last spring, have renewed 91percent of their season ticket holders and sold 1,575 new season tickets for the 2010-11 season, which begins in October. Both those numbers are in the top 10 in the 30-team league, according to Bobcats president Fred Whitfield, who got the news at a recent NBA executives meeting. The Bobcats have never been in the top 20 of the league in either of those categories, Whitfield said. Whitfield said the Bobcats had a 71percent renewal rate this time last year and had sold fewer than 400 new season tickets. They sold about 7,000 season tickets overall last season and expect to go well past the 8,000 mark this season. — Charlotte Observer
A league source says the Charlotte Bobcats wanted to get involved as well, using the non-guaranteed contract of center Erick Dampier to try and get a point guard. Under one scenario, Dampier would have gone to Indiana, the team that originally drafted him in 1996, with T.J. Ford going to Toronto and the Raptors sending guard Jose Calderon to Charlotte. (The Raptors had agreed to send Calderon to the Bobcats earlier this summer in a deal that would have sent center Tyson Chandler to Toronto, but the deal was scotched at the last minute by Charlotte owner Michael Jordan.) — NBA.com
Boston Celtics still need a swingman behind Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Could it be Larry Hughes? Word is the Celtics and Bobcats are interested. Hughes is looking good in workouts. — Yahoo! (Via Twitter)
It’s not looking good for Tyreke Evans, O.J. Mayo and Gerald Wallace. Sources close to the situation told FanHouse on Tuesday they’re expected to be among the cuts when Team USA on Wednesday reveals the 15 out of 19 remaining players who will be invited to New York for the Aug. 10-16 training camp in preparation for next month’s World Championship in Turkey. As to who might be the fourth cut, sources said that was still being debated. — Fanhouse
Louis Amundson made a lot of friends. His popularity in Phoenix over the past two seasons prompted nearly as much local interest in his free-agency future but he said it still appears that won’t keep him in Phoenix. “It’s too bad Phoenix didn’t value me enough to keep me around,” Amundson said. “I felt like it was a great situation and I gave everything I have. It’s a business and I’m trying to have a thick skin. “I was always concerned (about the chances). Knowing they signed Hakim Warrick and Channing for that much money ($30 million over five years), that was not a good sign.” Amundson said Charlotte, Golden State and Toronto have shown interest in signing him. — Arizona Republic
Three armed men broke into the south Charlotte home of Bobcats’ Stephen Jackson and held his wife at gunpoint before locking her in a bathroom and stealing valuables, police say. The home invasion robbery happened just after 7 a.m. Wednesday at the home on Leamington Lane – a gated community off Carmel Road. The robbery report doesn’t list the victims’ names or say what the robbers got away with, but a police source told the Observer that the victim was Jackson’s wife and that he wasn’t home at the time of the crime. Public records list Jackson and his wife, Renata, as occupants of the home. They’ve lived there since December 2009. Officers have not said why they believe their home was targeted. No one has been charged. — Charlotte Observer
Tony Battie said he chose the Sixers, who finished last season with a record of 30-52, over the Charlotte Bobcats, who already possessed frontcourt depth; he also said he had offers from four other NBA teams. Battie appeared in only 15 games last season with the New Jersey Nets. For the Sixers, he’ll likely play the role of mentor, helping develop a frontcourt that includes 22-year-old Spencer Hawes, recently acquired from the Sacramento Kings for center Samuel Dalembert, and 24-year-old Jason Smith. — Philadelphia Inquirer
Center Erick Dampier’s contract CAN be traded right now, but couldn’t be aggregated with another salary to make a deal work until 60 days after being acquired by the Bobcats. In other words, if the Bobcats needed to move about $17 million to make a trade work, they couldn’t combine Dampier’s salary with Matt Carroll’s ($4.3 million) to approximate that number until mid-September. – CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown likes big point guards and isn’t put off by reclamation projects. Shaun Livingston fits both descriptions. A 6-7 point guard and former lottery pick, Livingston suffered a horrific knee injury while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2007. Three teams later, he’s agreed to terms with the Bobcats, an informed source told the Observer. Livingston would help D.J. Augustin fill the gap left by Raymond Felton signing with the New York Knicks. Livingston played 28 games for the Washington Wizards last season – 18 of them starts – averaging 9.2 points and 4.5 assists. Livingston suffered that knee injury against the Bobcats, driving to the basket in transition after a steal. The damage was extensive – three of four ligaments in his left knee were torn, along with two dislocations. In addition to Livingston, it’s likely the Bobcats will bring undrafted rookie Sherron Collins to training camp as a third option at point guard. Collins showed well in summer-league games in Orlando as both a playmaker and scorer, but he needs to trim down his weight. – CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Think of Erick Dampier’s $13 million, unguaranteed salary as a “Get out of Cap Jail Free” card. Tuesday the Charlotte Bobcats traded big men Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca to the Dallas Mavericks. The Bobcats acquired forward Eduardo Najera, ex-Bobcat Matt Carroll and, most importantly, the unguaranteed final season on the contract of center Dampier. The Bobcats either could waive Dampier and owe him nothing or trade him on to a team in search of financial flexibility. Either way, the Bobcats – determined to avoid paying the NBA’s luxury tax – have choices now that their salary-cap situation didn’t allow before this trade. – CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Kobe Bryant once said he had “bigger fish to fry” than Raja Bell after a squabble with the former Phoenix Suns guard, but now Bryant is hoping the Lakers can reel him in with what’s left of their midlevel exception: $1.77 million next season. Bell, who will be 34 in September, played only six games with Charlotte and Golden State last season because of a torn ligament in his left wrist, but he is a career 41.1% three-point shooter and still capable of solid on-ball defense. Bell to the Lakers is not a sure thing. He is having discussions with five other teams — Miami, Chicago, San Antonio, Portland and Utah — and will not make up his mind until next week, said his agent, Herb Rudoy. – LOS ANGELES TIMES
The Bobcats still have a big hole at point guard, after starter Raymond Felton signed with the New York Knicks. Felton’s backup last season, D.J. Augustin, is the only point guard under contract for now. Higgins acknowledged they still have to get help at the point and said they’re exploring both free agents and trade possibilities. The Bobcats previously inquired about Indiana Pacers guard T.J. Ford. – CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
While Amar’e Stoudemire would love to team up with point guard Tony Parker, a source told The Post the new Knicks power forward would prefer, given his choice of free-agent point guards, to pick-and-roll with Milwaukee’s Luke Ridnour. The Knicks have Raymond Felton and Ridnour high on their list, but feel Ridnour could be the better value. The source said Stoudemire views Ridnour as Nash Lite — someone who can run the pick-and-roll, pass the ball well and shoot from the outside. There are concerns Stoudemire will not be the same without Nash. – NY Post
Don’t look for unrestricted free-agent point guard Raymond Felton to figure where he’ll end up until well after the superstars make their decisions. New York, Miami and New Jersey all have interest in Felton, and have plenty of cap room, but those teams are all committed to the chase for LeBron James, et al. – Charlotte Observer
The Bobcats and the agents for restricted free agent Tyrus Thomas continue talks that both sides describe as “cordial,” but don’t look for a quick agreement on a long-term deal. Agent Brian Elfus never anticipated that they’d have a deal in place when the NBA announces next season’s salary-cap figure Thursday. – Charlotte Observer
© 2012 Ben Maller
