Today the Charlotte Bobcats lightened their payroll and said goodbye to a huge weight that would have dragged on the team over the next season. General Manager Rod Higgins released word that the Bobcats would not offer a qualifying offer contract to Sean May for next season. This ends a difficult period for both May and the organization. After selecting Sean with the (lucky) 13th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, the team had hoped he would continue to progress after receiving the Most Outstanding Player recognition for his sensational play in the 2005 NCAA tournament.

Unfortunately, May played only two months of his pro career before experiencing an injury that signaled a pattern for the remainder of his contract with the Bobcats. Last season’s embarrassingly public coverage of May’s weight and conditioning issues made his return to the team highly unlikely. Still, the Bobcats have been in the hunt to strengthen their roster at the reserve Power Forward position. There was speculation that May could have returned for the 2009-2010 season, but Higgins’ comments show that the Cats are looking to head in a new direction. May’s release comes just months after the Bobcats were motivated to move another former lottery pick in Adam Morrison last season.

As the  NBA Draft approaches, two questions are presented with the news of Sean May’s release.
1. Do the Bobcats see a replacement at Power Forward in the Draft or through trade?
2. Considering the Adam Morrison & Sean May projects, should the Bobcats trade their pick in order to avoid another mistake?