Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has given his front office the freedom to make roster improvements in any way possible, which could range from dealing for a star player or a complementary big man to acquiring a future draft pick. Last night, we heard that Charlotte has been in aggressive pursuit of Grizzlies star Rudy Gay.
President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins told the Observer :
“We’re very active – our owner wants us to be active…(we've been given) the green light to go out and make this team better…I don’t think there’s any limits to what we’d try to do."
Higgins and Bobcats GM Rich Cho, who reiterated that the team's primary plan has been to acquire assets and build through the draft before adding more pieces via trades and free agency, will reportedly have spoken with every other NBA front office by the end of this week in order to get a feel for outside interest in making a deal.
Cho also told the Observer that the Bobcats will look to make improvements in the rebounding department, whether before the trade deadline or through the upcoming draft. Considering Byron Mullens' ankle sprain and Bismack Biyambo's lack of experience, Bonnell believes that the team is currently in need of more frontcourt help. In a separate article, Bonnell identifies Jason Thompson, J.J. Hickson, and Jared Dudley (in addition to Gay) as players who could make sense as trade targets moving forward.