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With the 2013 NBA Draft right around the corner, the pace of rumors has escalated with speed. One of the more interesting of the day, from several reports, is the Charlotte Bobcats are shopping around their No. 2 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, former Kentucky Wildcats star, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
As a rookie, Kidd-Gilchrist averaged 9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in around 26 minutes per contest for the lowly Bobcats who finished the season 21-61 and continue to flounder in general as an NBA franchise.
The Bobcats have the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft and, according to rumors, have their eyes on Georgetown Hoyas star Otto Porter, who has exploded up the charts given his outstanding individual workouts and a solid performance at the NBA Combine earlier this month.
Charlotte would need to trade up to at least No. 3 in order to have a shot at Porter — at least according to most mock drafts — and this would mean shipping Kidd-Gilchrist to the Washington Wizards in return for that pick.
It’s unlikely this would be a one-for-one scenario given how desperate such a move would seem by the Bobcats just prior to the draft, but one where the Wizards could come out like big winners if they were willing to pull the trigger.
It’s hard on the surface to see why the Bobcats would want to part with MKG after only one season. His numbers — based on minutes played — were right at what would be expected of a rookie, especially one on a team as poor as Charlotte.
Is this simply a case of the grass being greener, and the general infatuation scouts and front office personnel across the league have with Otto Porter?
That could very well be the case.
If Michael Jordan does decide to make this move, it could be one of the last he makes — for better, or worse.
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Kris Hughes is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. You can follow Kris on Twitter, Google and Facebook
