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Report: Bobcats Sale Could Happen Within Two Weeks

UPDATE, 2:30 PM: The reporter who broke this story now hears the Bobcats may not be sold at all.

One of a few NBA teams for sale -- the Charlotte Bobcats -- could change hands within two weeks, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

Bonnell reports founding owner Robert Johnson is in serious talks with George Postolos. Earlier this decade, Postolos worked as the president/CEO of the Houston Rockets, and was integral in getting the Toyota Center built. He also worked on the negotiations to bring Yao Ming to the NBA, and once that happened spearheaded Asian marketing campaigns for Yao and the Rockets. Prior to his work with Houston, Postolos was a special assistant to commissioner David Stern, working on legal matters.

Is Charlotte Trading Emeka Okafor to Help Sell the Team?

On balance, most agree the Bobcats would come out as the losers in the talent portion of the trade of Emeka Okafor to New Orleans for Tyson Chandler. Both are keystone defenders, but 'Meka is more well-rounded and (lately) more healthy. On offense, Chandler is completely single-minded, whereas Okafor holds some modicum of control over his talents in the post.

So the angle for Charlotte in making this trade would be financial. But the Bobcats take on a minor amount of extra salary the next two seasons in the deal, and now have only $25 million in salary locked up in 2011-12. Okafor wasn't exactly putting the Bobcats on the brink of the luxury tax, in other words.

But there's one more financial angle: the idea Okafor long contract presented a problem in Robert Johnson's sale of the team.

Bobcats Officially Up for Sale

Anyone have $325-350 million laying around? That's the price Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson wants for his controlling stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, according to the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell (via The Baseline).

Johnson has been rumored to be looking to offload the struggling franchise for months, telling an Observer columnist last month he's not terribly interested in running a basketball team and hoping minority owner/team president Michael Jordan would pony up. (Apparently, MJ is not breaking open the piggy bank.)

Jordan Wants a Big Man, Full 'Cats Ownership

Comments by Michael Jordan about the desire for full ownership of the Bobcats are getting a lot of play, as well it should. Jordan's the boss in Charlotte right now, but Robert Johnson signs the checks. There's the idea that with a larger share of financial responsibility (and potential), MJ would be even more interested in the matters at hand. This isn't to say he's not involved; heck, he was in the building last night as Charlotte smacked the Hornets.

An even better indication: in a talk with the Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler, MJ tells the world what he's looking for on the trade market.
"We've got a lot of perimeter players that duplicate each other," Jordan said. "From Adam (Morrison) to Matt (Carroll) to Jared (Dudley). ... I think that's what Larry (Brown, the Bobcats' new coach) is trying to battle with. And we have no big presence in the middle other than Emeka [Okafor]."
The acknowledgment Charlotte is looking for a trade coattails nicely with the breathless Friday reports that the Bobcats powers (MJ and Larry Brown) have agreed to find a new home for Gerald Wallace. While Wallace is probably Charlotte's best player, he also resides at the only position the team is loaded. Jared Dudley has become Brown's newest heartthrob; Morrison and Carroll also deserve looks, and Jason Richardson is an able small forward option, which could allow some dual Raymond Felton-D.J. Augustin stints in the backcourt.

Eddy Curry and Al Harrington have been advocated as options; if Joe Dumars isn't done shaking the bag, Rasheed Wallace seems like a good match. Shawn Marion? Brad Miller? Big men of varying quality exist, if MJ's willing to go get them.

Who Said the NBA Ignores Politics?

Unsurprisingly, a few NBA personalities (players, owners, retirees) have donated to or stumped for various presidential candidates over the past year. Unsurprisingly, many of the players have broken for Barack Obama and many of the owners have supported various Republican contenders.

This has all been quite quiet, despite Obama's alleged Gervinesque game and the league's clear (D-Secaucus) bent. Well, until now I suppose.

Robert Johnson, majority owner of the Bobcats and founder of Black Entertainment Television, is a serious Hillary Clinton supporter. So serious, in fact, he came out on the attack against Obama this weekend. See how after the jump.

Redskins Lose Two More Defensive Linemen, Intentionally

The Redskins cut 12 players from the roster as they head into the final preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens this Thursday. Two of those cuts are defensive linemen, a unit which has taken a beating in injuries already.

Casey Bramlet gets cut

The 12 players cut include:

  • OL Jon Alston
  • QB Casey Bramlet
  • DB Antuan Edwards
  • TE Robert Johnson
  • OL Jim Jones
  • K Tyler Jones
  • P David Lonie
  • DL Chris Mineo
  • TE Calen Powell
  • DL Karon Riley
  • LB Kevin Simon
  • DB Aric Williams

None of them come as too much of a surprise. TE Robert Johnson's injury prevented him from getting enough playing time to show what he had since he was kind of expected to make the team. The solid play of TE Buck Ortega, though, probably accelerated his dismissal. The Redskins now have 76 players on the roster who will get one final look this Thursday. The team has to cut around 20 more players before the season opener against former Redskins QB Brad Johnson and the Minnesota Vikings.

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