NBA Trade: Emeka Okafor to the Hornets for Tyson Chandler

As of today, 28th of July, 2009 (11:42PM Philippine Time), ESPN Sports reported that the deal has been finalized. CHA sends Emeka Okafor to NOH for Tyson Chandler.

My initial reaction? I'm puzzled about the plans of the Hornets. I believe that they traded Chandler during the trade deadline (for Wilcox and Joe Smith) to slash payroll. Chandler has 10M+ for the next two years. If the hornets were looking to slash payroll, they'd look for expiring contracts, right? However, they chose to take in Okafor's contract (6 years, 72M) which runs through 2010-2011, when Chandler's contract is supposed to come off the books.

I think that this trade has something to do with the shrinking salary cap. New Orleans probably knew that Tyson wasn't planning on opting out of his 2010-2011 contract, the market for free agency during the summer of 2011 will be small, and they aren't willing to sign Chandler to an extension. Valid points, considering you gain a center who hasn't reached his full potential in Okafor.

What does this do for both teams? For the Bobcats, this gives them the inside defensive presence that Okafor couldn't really provide. Chandler is taller, more athletic, and quicker than Okafor when healthy. However, they lose the post offense that Okafor gave them, which is about 12-15 PPG.

Meanwhile, the Hornets gain another low post scorer in Okafor. With Okafor, the Hornets won't have to rely on David West for low post scoring. West can play along the baseline and shoot mid-range jumpers while Okafor can do the dirty work like rebound and score off put backs. Playing with Chris Paul may also improve his offensive game.

At the end of the day, I think that this trade will work better for the Bobcats. Chandler will be a good addition to the Bobcats because of his size and his defense. If this trade doesn't work, his contracts will come off the books in 2011, giving the Bobcats an opportunity to be flexible during that summer. Emeka Okafor will fit well with the Hornets, but his huge contract will affect extension talks with Chris Paul, David West, and possibly Rasual Butler.