What is Michael Jordan Doing?!?

Michael Jordan is currently the "managing partner" of the Charlotte Bobcats. And one has to ask the question: what in the world is Jordan doing?!?!? Jordan was hired to get the Bobcats to the playoffs, which is why he went out and traded for Jason Richardson in 2007 and hired coach Larry Brown in 2008. Currently, the Bobcats are 7-14 and not playing well. The Bobcats' leading scorer, Jason Richardson, is still shooting 44% from the field and 46% from 3-point land. Yet, the Bobcats traded Richardson, which would be okay if they had either: a) gotten something to help them in return or b) received salary cap relief.

The Bobcats received neither! The Bobcats received F Boris Diaw, aging SG Raja Bell, and a 3rd-string PG. The Bobcats received slight salary cap relief after next season, when Raja Bell's $5 million contract expires... but Boris Diaw has the same length of a contract as Richardson, and Diaw even has a player option for $9 million for 2011-2012. Thus, the Bobcats actually took on more financial obligations in the long-term. Boris Diaw is 6'8", very lanky, and is a very good passer for a big-man. But is he going to rebound well? No, he never has, and that's what the Bobcats supposedly wanted from this trade.

Perhaps even better than my puzzled reactions to this trade is Bobcats' coach Larry Brown's quotes in reaction to the trade, as published in the AP Article:
1) "We're losing a pretty darn good player and the way Phoenix is trying to make their team, they just added an unbelievable piece."
2) "I think it's going to be a little bit of a shock to those guys [Bell, Diaw] when you start a season and you have a legitimate chance to win a championship and all of a sudden go with a team that's trying to go and find an identity and get better"
3) Richardson "averaged 20 a game for us this year without a true post game. When you put him with Shaq, who can pass the ball and commands double teams, and Stoudemire as well, and you got a guy like Steve Nash, they got a pretty formidable weapon."

What's even more frustrating from my selfish perspective? The Cavs could have gotten Jason Richardson for the price of Wally's expiring contract and that would have been a better trade for the Bobcats, rather than rolling the dice with Diaw and Raja Bell. I hope Diaw and Raja Bell can prove me wrong.