What happened

The Bobcats gave up one starter (Richardson) for two (power forward Diaw and shooting guard Bell). Dudley was a smart, versatile player, but he probably wasn't going to start regularly. There was an overabundance of small forwards on this team (Gerald Wallace, Adam Morrison and Dudley) and Juwan Howard figures to get the minutes at power forward Dudley received.

In essence, they gave up the closest thing they've had to a "go-to" guy (Richardson) for two starters whose skill sets (Diaw as a passer/post-up guy and Bell as an on-the-ball defender) match areas where coach Larry Brown said his roster was deficient.

Spin city

Think back to draft night 2007, when the Bobcats traded the eighth overall pick (Brandan Wright) and used up about $11 million in salary-cap room to acquire Richardson and Jermareo Davidson.

The team sold that deal to fans on the logic it was essential this team find a go-to-guy.

Richardson was good, but not great, in that role. He's probably better off in a complementary role in Phoenix. Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire are such strong post presences, Richardson will get abundant open looks from the perimeter.

However, consider the net effect: Davidson was waived, Richardson and Dudley were traded and the Bobcats won't get a net savings against the salary cap until the summer of 2010. And this roster is back to being a collection of complementary players with no star around whom to build.

How they're doing

Diaw is helping in just the way Brown hoped he would. He is among the NBA's best-passing forwards, so when the ball hits his hands in the post, defenses must make a hard choice whether to double-team him (thus leaving a shooter) or allow him to put up shots down low.

Teammates are still adjusting to the sudden, creative passes he throws. But Emeka Okafor is starting to get some wide-open looks as the second option inside.

Bell is struggling. He has missed several open shots and got himself ejected in the first quarter of the Bulls game. But Brown is forgiving of that, perhaps because he sees Bell as a reliable veteran.

Singletary is a maybe, someone Brown thinks could round into an NBA point guard.

The cap story

If you combine the two trades (acquiring Richardson in June 2007 and dealing him to Phoenix last week), here's what you get:

The Bobcats gave up their two first-round picks in 2007 (Wright and Dudley), plus $11.1 million in salary-cap space (what it took to absorb Richardson's contract without sending contracts back to Golden State), plus a future second-round pick, to acquire Diaw, Bell and Singletary.

The net effect is pretty much cap-neutral next season, but could result in a cap savings of about $5 million the summer of 2010 when Bell's contract expires.

That could be useful, because the free-agent class of 2010 looks particularly strong.

What's next?

Another trade seems inevitable. This team might now play more the way Brown prefers, but it's in a dangerous place -- capped-out and not very good. There are too many long-term commitments to players perceived as overpaid by other teams.