Cramer: NBA Trade

In the first big trade in a while in the NBA, the New Orleans Hornets traded Tyson Chandler for Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats. This trade is somewhat exciting to hear about because it has two relatively big named players in it. However, Okafor has a big name because of his great performances at UConn and his Rookie of the Year award, and Chandler because of his large contract and play in NO due to Chris Paul. There is, however, a very clear cut winner in the trade.

There's a great article on the trade on ESPN by John Hollinger (insiders only). He mirrors my thoughts exactly, or perhaps I mirror his thoughts exactly. Either way, the trade is clearly a win-win for the Hornets. They got rid of Chandler's huge contract and injury problems for a better player for less money in Okafor. The only positives for Charlotte are that they cleared cap space for 2011 because Okafor's contract is longer, and as Hollinger states, "The other possibility is that it was driven by owner Robert Johnson's need to sell the team. In that case, clearing the $40 million owed on the final three years of Okafor's contract removed a potential liability from his books, possibly making it easier for him to unload the team sooner. If that ends up happening, Bobcats fans might still feel like they won the trade." Time will tell what the Bobcats intentions are.