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Charlotte Bobcats Acquire Melvin Ely and Eddie House from Los Angeles Clippers

On July 14th, 2004, the Los Angeles Clippers traded center-forward Melvin Ely and guard Eddie House to the Charlotte Bobcats for a 2005 second round draft pick (Daniel Ewing) and a 2006 second round draft pick (Paul Davis).

The 2001-02 season was a year of disappointment sprinkled in with some hope for the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year, the team won 39 games, its most in nine years. With young players such as Elton Brand, Lamar Odom and Corey Maggette on the roster, the Clippers had hope to build into a legitimate playoff team.

In the 2002 offseason, the Clippers held two picks in the lottery at number eight and 12. First, the team drafted athletic power forward Chris Wilcox from the University of Maryland. Next, the team selected big man Melvin Ely from Fresno State.

A throwback big man with the ability to score in the post with either hand, Ely excelled at the college level. A two-time WAC player of the year, Ely led the Bulldogs in his senior year with 23.3 PPG and 9.1 RPG. After the draft, Ely signed the traditional rookie scale contract for four years with a team option in the last year for $7.3 million.

The Clipper had high hopes for the 2002-03 season after trading for point guard Andre Miller. The team was a disappointment dropping 12 of its first 18 games. Los Angeles fell to third-worst in the West with a 19-39 record, head coach Alvin Gentry was fired. Assistant coach Dennis Johnson took over for the rest of the season. After the coaching change, the Clippers weren't much better, finishing the year with a 27-55 record.

Ely was on the fringes of the Clippers rotation, but injuries to starters Michael Olowokandi, Elton Brand and Lamar Odom in the frontcourt opened up time for the rookie. Ely appeared in 52 games (seven starts) and tallied 4.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 0.6 BPG in 15.4 MPG.

The Clippers had somehow compiled four players on the roster who were drafted in the first round of the 1999 draft in Brand, Odom, Miller and Maggette. That meant they all would hit free agency in the summer of 2003. All four players were restricted free agents. On top of that, starting center Olowokandi and reserve Eric Piatkowski were unrestricted free agents.

It would be a key moment in the franchise's history. Los Angeles went halfway in restricted free agency. Brand and Maggette signed offer sheets of six years and $82 million, and six years and $42 million with the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz respectively. The Clippers matched both offers, keeping the two players in Los Angeles.

Miller and Odom both signed six year offer sheets with the Denver Nuggets and Heat respectively. Los Angeles declined to match the offer sheets, losing both starters. Olowokandi signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves while Piatkowski departed for the Houston Rockets.

The Clippers added Eddie House in free agency, signing the combo guard to a two-year, $1.6 million deal. In the first round of the draft, the Clippers added center Chris Kaman. On the coaching front, the Clippers hired head coach Mike Dunleavy in the offseason.

The Clippers started the 2003-04 season 4-2 after six games, but dropped nine of their next 11 games to fall to 6-11. Los Angeles was 24-30 after 54 games and the team finished the season 4-24 over the last 28 games to finish 28-54.

Ely was unhappy in his second season with the Clippers. With the departures of Olowokandi and Odom, there was hope for him to see an uptick in minutes. However, players like the rookie Kaman and fellow 2002 pick Wilcox received more playing time under coach Dunleavy.

The former Fresno State college player hoped to be traded at the deadline but that never happened. Near the end of the regular season, Ely expressed interest in being selected by incoming NBA team the Charlotte Bobcats in the expansion draft. But really, Ely just wanted to join a team where he could receive regular rotation minutes.

"I just want to play, so if that means going to another team, that's what I want to do. Obviously, I'm not a fit here. God willing, I could be somewhere else next season, start everything brand new ... and just try to get onto the court by any means necessary."

Overall, Ely saw action in just 42 games (two starts) with the Clippers and put up 3.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 0.5 APG in 12.1 MPG.

House was in a similar role to his previous stop with the Miami Heat. Mainly a reserve, House played in 60 games and made 10 starts. The guard posted 6.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.1 SPG in 19.8 MPG.

Ely's request for a trade didn't work out the exact way he had expected. The Bobcats were interested in taking Ely in the expansion draft, but the Clippers kept him on their list of protected players.

Instead, the Clippers worked out a deal where reserve center Peja Drobnjak was selected by the Bobcats in the expansion draft. Charlotte moved up to the second spot—drafting Emeka Okafor—of the draft while the Clippers moved down to number four—taking guard Shaun Livingston. As part of this arrangement the Clippers also received the 33rd pick in the draft.

Ely eventually got his wish as the Clippers sent him and House to the expansion Bobcats for two future second round picks in 2005 and 2006.

The primary motivation for Los Angeles was to free up cap space to make a run at Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant who entered free agency in the summer of 2004. The Clippers were considered a legitimate threat at signing Bryant because of his interest in staying in the Los Angeles area.

Ely was owed $1.7 million for the 2004-05 season and House's was $825,000. offloading those two salaries cleared a max cap slot for the Clippers to make a run at Bryant which turned out to be unsuccessful. The star guard returned to the Lakers.

Melvin Ely and Eddie House joined the expansion Bobcats after being cast off from the Los Angeles Clippers. Ely played in Summer League for the Bobcats in Salt Lake City. In six games, he contributed 11.7 PPG on 50% shooting and 4.8 RPG in 21.8 MPG.

The Bobcats were bad early on, starting their inaugural season 1-8. The club was just 8-31 after 39 games. Charlotte finished the season 18-64, tied for the second-worst record in the NBA.

House was waived in early December by the Bobcats as the club made room to acquire guard Kareem Rush from the Los Angeles Lakers. He later signed during the season with the Milwaukee Bucks. House played in 13 games (five starts) with Charlotte, compiling 11.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.8 SPG in 23.1 MPG.

Ely saw a boost in playing time with the Bobcats, playing in 79 games (17 starts) and recording 7.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.9 BPG in 20.9 MPG.

After the 2004-05 season, the Bobcats drafted point guard Raymond Felton fifth overall and power forward Sean May in the 13th spot of the draft. Charlotte began the 2005-06 season 5-17 which set the tone for another losing season. Charlotte was 26-56 which was an eight-win increase from the previous year.

Ely continued to grow his game as he tallied a career-high 9.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 APG and 23.6 MPG along with 0.5 SPG and 0.8 BPG during the ‘05-‘06 season. The big man flashed his post up skill on offense to the tune of 30 double digit scoring games in 57 appearances.

Charlotte had the third selection in the 2006 NBA Draft which it used to select Gonzaga University standout Adam Morrison. Ely entered restricted free agency during the 2006 offseason. The post up aficionado reportedly turned down potential sign-and trade offers from the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. Instead, he signed a one year and $3 million qualifying offer deal with the Bobcats..

Due to poor defense and rebounding, Ely lost his place in the rotation to players like Emeka Okafor and Sean May. The dramatic decrease in minutes caused Ely to request a trade. Ely was producing just 2.9 PPG and 1.6 RPG in just 10.2 MPG, through 24 games before he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. The numbers were a career-low for him.

Ely averaged 7.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.7 BPG in two and a half years with Charlotte. The big man shot 46% from the field and 62% from the free-throw line in that time in the 160 career games he played with the Bobcats.

The two second rounders the Clippers acquired from Charlotte were juicy. Since the Bobcats were expected to be bad, both second rounders could be in the early 30s.

That happened right away in the 2005 draft. Since Charlotte was tied for the second-worst record in the NBA, the pick it sent to the Clippers was 32nd in the draft. Los Angeles used the pick on guard Daniel Ewing from Duke. Ewing was a productive starter for a quality Blue Devils program, but there were questions about his lack of size, suspect shooting and point guard skills.

The Clippers signed Ewing to a three-year, $1.8 million contract. An undersized combo guard, Ewing played for the Clippers' Summer League team in Las Vegas, recording 8.0 PPG on 37.1% shooting, 2.6 RPG and 1.6 APG in five games.

Los Angeles began the 2005-06 season 5-1 and was 9-2 after 11 games. The winning continued at an unprecedented rate for the franchise's modern history. Los Angeles held the fifth-best record in the Western Conference at 47-35.

The Clippers made the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 season, and it was the club's highest win total since 1974-75 when the team went 49-33. The franchise was the Buffalo Braves at that time and played in the Eastern Conference. Ewing played in 66 games in his rookie season, averaging, 14.7 MPG, 3.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.3 APG and 0.6 SPG in 14.7 MPG.

NBA playoff seeding rules at the time stated that division winners in each conference take the top three seed. Due to that rule, the Clippers were the sixth seed in the Western Conference despite having the fifth-best record in the conference.

The Clippers faced the third-seed Denver Nuggets. Denver was 44-38 and had a worse record than Los Angeles but was the third seed because it won the Northwest Division. Since Los Angeles had the better record, it held homecourt advantage in the first round.

The Clippers had a 16-point lead late in the third quarter of Game One. Denver tied the score at 87 after an Andre Miller layup with 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. The Clippers scored two after Vladimir Radmanovic was fouled and made free throws with 59.8 seconds left.

Elton Brand blocked Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony and Radmanovic was whistled for an offensive foul on a drive. Anthony missed two different shots that would've tied the game and the Clippers held on for the two-point win.

The Clippers led by as much as 25 points in the first half of Game Two and held on for a 98-87 victory. The Nuggets won the third game Anthony scored 24 points. In the fourth game, seven Clippers reached double figures and Los Angeles won 100-86. The Clippers closed out the series in Game Five with a 101-83 blowout victory.

Los Angeles matched up with the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Brand starred with 40 points, but Phoenix had four players score at least 17 in a 130-123 win. The Clippers used a 19-5 offensive rebounding advantage and a 31-6 edge in second chance points to take Game Two 122-97 victory.

In response to great play from Clippers guard Sam Cassell (25.5 PPG), the Suns had 6-foot-8 forward Shawn Marion primarily guard Cassell instead of the 6-foot-3 Nash. Marion helped limit Cassell to 2-for-10 shooting as the Suns took back homecourt advantage with a 94-91 Suns win in Game Three.

In Game Four, the Clippers led for most of the contest. Cassell hit a three-pointer with 27.2 seconds left to give them a six-point lead. They ended up taking the game 114-107 and tying the series 2-2.

Game Five was one of the best games of the 2006 postseason. Los Angeles trailed by 19 points early on but stormed back. With 39.2 seconds left and the Clippers down by three, Cassell knocked down a corner three to tie the game. Neither team scored again in regulation, forcing free basketball.

Los Angeles took a three-point lead with 3.6 seconds left in overtime after Cassell hit two free throws. Phoenix tied it after Raja Bell hit a corner three over a recently subbed in Ewing with 1.1 seconds left.

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The Clippers turned it over on their subsequent inbounds play, and Marion missed a heave at the buzzer. The second overtime saw Marion and Leandro Barbosa scored 11 of Phoenix’s 14 points in the second overtime as the Suns outlasted the Clippers 125-118.

The decision by coach Dunleavy to sub in the rookie Ewing for Bell's three-pointer was heavily criticized after the loss. The team had one foul to give on the play and its original plan was to foul before anyone on Phoenix could get a shot off.

The Clippers took out Cassell, Brand and center Chris Kaman and had five perimeter players on the floor to switch and guard the three-point line. Ewing for his part said he intended to foul but didn't because he didn't want to foul Bell on a shot attempt creating free-throws (via ESPN):

"He caught the ball in the corner and turned and shot. I did the best I could, put pressure on the shooter. It was a good play for them and a bad break for us. It was judgment call. He made a tough shot. We have to live with it."

Brand had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help lead the Clippers to a 118-106 Game Six win and tie the series 3-3. The series finale saw Nash score 29 points and hand out 11 assists to lead Phoenix to a Game Seven 127-107 blowout victory.

Though Ewing is remembered for being on the floor for one of the Clippers' most significant playoff moments, he appeared in just six of the team's 12 games for a total of five minutes. The guard scored two points in the postseason.

In the 2006 offseason, Cassell re-signed with Los Angeles on a two-year, $13 million deal. In the draft, the Clippers filled a need in the frontcourt, adding 6-foot-11 center Paul Davis from Michigan State. A four-year player in college, Davis averaged 17.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG with the Spartans in his senior year.

Ewing played in Summer League for a second consecutive season with the Clippers. In five games, the guard averaged 31.6 MPG, 14.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.6 SPG.

The 2006-07 season would be a rollercoaster ride for the Clippers. Expected to compete for a playoff spot, Los Angeles began the season 5-1 but soon dropped six of seven to fall to 6-7. A six-game losing streak dropped the team to 10-15 in December and a 7-1 stretch in January got the team to 24-22.

Injuries to point guards Sam Cassell and Shaun Livingston played a large part in the team's struggles all year. After 74 games, Los Angeles was in eighth place in the West with a 37-37 record. A 3-5 stretch in the last five games dropped the Clippers to 40-42. Los Angeles finished two games behind the seventh place Golden State Warriors and eighth place Los Angeles Lakers who both finished 42-40.

Ewing made appearances in 61 games in his second season and put up 2.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.5 APG and 0.5 SPG in 11.7 MPG. Ewing struggled to fill in at point guard with Cassell and Livingston out with injury as he felt more comfortable as a two-guard. Davis had a small role in his rookie season. The 6-foot-11 forward saw action in 31 games and amassed 1.6 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 5.8 MPG.

In the 2007 offseason, the Clippers waived Ewing. He ended his two-year run in Los Angeles with a stat line of 3.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.4 APG and 0.5 SPG in 127 games. The former Blue Devil shot 39% from the field, 32% from the three-point line and 78% from the free-throw line in two years. Ewing signed a two-year deal overseas to play with Khimki of the Russian League.

Davis played in Summer League with the Clippers in 2007. In Las Vegas, Davis started all five games, producing 12.6 PPG on 44% shooting and 8.0 RPG in 25.1 MPG.

Los Angeles' hopes for fielding a playoff team for the 2007-08 season were dashed before the start of the season. Brand ruptured his left achilles tendon during a routine offseason workout. The two-time All-Star would miss all but the last eight games of the season.

Los Angeles won its first four games but dropped 23 of the next 29 games. to fall to 10-23. The Clippers started a retooling, agreeing to a buyout arrangement with veteran starter Sam Cassell at midseason. After reaching 19-33, the Clippers went 4-26 over the final 30 games to finish the year 23-59.

In early January of 2008, Davis tore the ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee during a game against the Dallas Mavericks. The injury required surgery and ended his season abruptly. Davis averaged 2.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.5 APG and 8.8 MPG in 22 games.

In the 2008 offseason, Los Angeles underwent significant changes. The team was able to sign All-Star point guard Baron Davis, but lost Brand and Maggette to the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors respectively.

In response to losing Brand, the Clippers traded for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby in a deal with the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers renounced their rights to Paul Davis, but later signed the big man to a contract.

Los Angeles began the 2008-09 season just 1-9. The team made a significant early-season deal, acquiring power forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins from the New York Knicks for forward Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley.

The losing continued as Los Angeles was 8-25 when it waived Davis along with guard Fred Jones in early 2009 to make room for recently acquired center Cheikh Samb. In 27 games, Davis was averaging 4.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 11.5 MPG. Over the course of three seasons, Davis appeared in 80 games with the Clippers, posting 2.2 PPG and 2.0 RPG. The big man shot 40% from the field and 74% from the charity stripe.

Melvin Ely on being eager to join the Bobcats (via LA Times):

"This is a great feeling to start all over with a brand-new team. I'm just happy that I can start with a new team and a new coach and a clean slate and finally show people that it wasn't a fluke that I was picked 12th and that I can go in there and help the new team out."

On the strengths in his game (via Bobcats.com):

"I'm a low-post presence, defensively and offensively, and that's something that every team needs. I'm hoping to add along with (Emeka) Okafor and all the other guys that have been there."

Eddie House on arriving in Charlotte (via Bobcats.com):

"I'm just happy to get the opportunity to come to a new team with a new start and a new beginning and try to start something good there. It's also a great opportunity for me to come in and show that I can play this game."

On how he feels he is best used:

"I just want to get on the court and play basketball. I'm a basketball player. It doesn't matter what position I'm at, I feel like I could have a positive effect on the game for my squad. If asked to run the one, I could do that. "I have definitely gotten better over the years. People don't know if I'm a one or a two. My answer since I came to the league is that I'm a basketball player. Once I get out on the court, that's what I do. I play hard."

On whether his jump shot is the best part of his game:

"Yes, I see that as my strong point. I think also the energy I bring to the floor. I energize the team. I get my teammates going and also get the crowd into it at the same time."

Charlotte Bobcats general manager and head coach Bernie Bickerstaff on adding Ely and House (via Bobcats.com):

"Adding these two players complements the make-up of our team very well. We now have six players that are 6-9 or taller for a nice rotation in the center and power forward positions and we have solidified our point guard position, as well."

On Melvin Ely:

"Melvin Ely is someone who commands respect in the low post on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He is an old-school type of player who is physically tough. He can conceivably play multiple positions in the frontcourt, at both center and forward, and can attract double-teams in the post."

On Eddie House:

"Eddie House has the ability to be an outside shooting threat and will give us another scorer. Another thing I like about him is his versatility to play some point guard and off-guard."

On what the trade gives Charlotte (via Bobcats.com):

"The trade gives us another guy at 6’10 who was the 12th pick in the draft. The point is that he is a guy who can command respect on the low block. Kind of the old-school game, because I know people will have to double-team him. I think he’ll do a good job with rebounding. We feel comfortable with that. I think he matches up with a lot of the bigs we have and he and Emeka (Okafor) could play together. "In talking to Eddie House, I asked him about the point guard situation, he was telling me 'you know coach, sometimes they want me to play point guard, when I started to play point guard they'd pull me off and have me play the two.' My message to him was 'we just want you to come in and play basketball. Be yourself. That's how you excel.' There are things that we can do offensively when he's in the game that exemplify and are conducive to a good game."

On receiving Ely who was the 12th overall draft pick from 2002:

"Well, I'm just happy we got him. I can't speak for other people, but I'm certainly appreciative. Timing is everything. We were in the right place at the right time. There were some other offers from teams who had an interest in this young man, but we just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

On the deal’s effect on the Clippers salary cap room:

"They're in the Kobe Derby. This deal they tried to consummate at 12:01 a.m., but it didn't happen. But they probably want to make their move on Kobe. We certainly wish them well. They've been nice to us."

Los Angeles Clippers vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor on how the trade creates cap flexibility (via Clippers.com):

"We began discussions on this transaction in early July, with the goal of creating salary cap flexibility which would allow us to take advantage of any potential opportunities."

Image Credit:

Melvin Ely via UPI/Nell Redmond

Eddie House via Getty Images/Kent Smith

#Melvin Ely #Paul Davis #Daniel Ewing #Eddie House #Bobcats #Clippers #2004 #2004*05 season

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