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Charlotte Hornets: Regrading the 2010 NBA Draft

By Christian Candeloro

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 28: Stephen Graham #23, Alexis Ajinca #21 and Derrick Brown #4 of the Charlotte Bobcats react during a game with the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden on October 28, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 28: Stephen Graham #23, Alexis Ajinca #21 and Derrick Brown #4 of the Charlotte Bobcats react during a game with the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden on October 28, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
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1. Bobcats trade a 2010 first-round pick for the 2008 draft rights to Alexis Ajinça

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 28: Stephen Graham #23, Alexis Ajinca #21 and Derrick Brown #4 of the Charlotte Bobcats react during a game with the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden on October 28, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts.
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 28: Stephen Graham #23, Alexis Ajinca #21 and Derrick Brown #4 of the Charlotte Bobcats react during a game with the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden on October 28, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. /

The Bobcats decided in 2008 that moving back a future draft pick was necessary to acquire Ajinça, a seven-foot French center that the team determined to be a starting quality big man in the NBA. Ajinça would play in only 37 games with the Bobcats, starting four, and averaged roughly five minutes per game. It was an all-around disastrous bad decision by Charlotte’s front office.

Charlotte chose Ajinça over Serge Ibaka, Nic Batum, and George Hill, all of whom would’ve been better selections. The pick they traded eventually became the 16th overall pick in 2010 that the Denver Nuggets used for journeyman Luke Babbitt, however, players like Bledsoe, Bradley, and Crawford were available for the taking. Considering the 2010 Bobcats finished at 44-38 and made the Eastern Conference Playoffs, it’s possible that an addition like Bledsoe would’ve made a difference in the team cratering to 34 wins the next season, falling short of preseason predictions.

After two quiet years in Charlotte, Ajinça was traded to Dallas for Erick Dampier, Eduardo Nájera, Matt Carroll. The Bobcats sunk to a league-worst seven wins in 2011 and Ajinça won the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks. There’s no way to assign a value to this trade other than an F, the beginning of a stretch where Charlotte continually missed on its lottery picks and trades.

Grade – F

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