SPURS LAND UNDERRATED ELY
The San Antonio Spurs acquired forward Melvin Ely from the Charlotte Bobcats for forward Eric Williams and a second round pick in 2009.
What does it give the San Antonio Spurs
A highly underrated and quality middle-man who can be an above-average NBA center. The obvious question is: if Ely is so good, why wasn't he playing for the lowly Bobcats? The answer is simply that Charlotte's problems are not up front. They're loaded with quality big-men such as Emeka Okafor, Sean May, Primoz Brezec, and others. Ely became the odd man out, and asked for a trade. He has every chance to take over as the Spurs' starting center, since journeymen Francisco Elson and Fabricio Oberto aren't as talented. San Antonio has been looking for a quality center since David Robinson retired in 2003, and they may have one in Ely. He has a half season to show what he can do, since he's a free agent when summer arrives.
What does it give the Charlotte Hornets
A solid reserve swingman in Williams, a passable pick, and a way to end an ongoing headache. The Ely situation got sticky for the Bobs when he demanded a trade several weeks ago. It's a little odd that Ely didn't get more playing time for the Bobcats, because he was dominant when given a chance and was often a better option than usual starting center Primoz Brezec. Charlotte was likely going to lose Ely this summer when he became a free agent, and got something in return for him while they still could.
Fantasy impact
