Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports Images
The Charlotte Bobcats are a team that is definitely still rebuilding for their future in the NBA. Even though they have made some solid moves this off-season, they still seem like a team destined for the lottery of the 2014 NBA Draft. However, what they have done this summer is seemingly solidified the front end of most positions on the floor.
With Kemba Walker and Ramon Sessions, the point guard position for the Bobcats was pretty much already solid in terms of the front end heading into free agency. However, the Bobcats only have 12 players under contract as of right now and none of those players are options at the point guard position. Given that, the Bobcats would be wise to try and go after another guard that could play some point if Walker or Sessions were to succumb to an injury.
Luckily for Charlotte, the San Antonio Spurs recently withdrew their qualifying offer to Gary Neal, making the three-year veteran an unrestricted free agent. The first positive about Neal is that he will likely come at a good price considering that his qualifying offer sat at just $1.1 million.
As far as the on-court aspect of signing Neal, it’s actually a move that would serve the Bobcats very well. Beyond giving Charlotte more depth at the point guard position, Neal is also a good sized guard at 6’4” and could potentially give the Bobcats minutes at the shooting guard as well. Neal, an above-average outside shooter at 39.8 percent from three for his career, would also help to address the Bobcats three-point woes as they shot just 33.5 percent from long-range as a team last season, the fourth worst mark in the league.
Neal wouldn’t be signed to the Bobcats to make a huge impact on their season, but he could undoubtedly be a serviceable role player and a solid, cheap source of depth to add to their roster. With Neal just recently becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Bobcats will likely need to act quickly if they are going to make a move for him. In the interest of doing things that make sense, though, they definitely need to be going after signing him.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google+ and like his Facebook page.
