Although I disagree a bit. I agree the original trade would have been awful. A consistent 8 seed with no cap space is not super helpful. However, the trade they got now is pretty good. If they can retain Gordon and then get some cap space, they might be able to pair Gordon with someone useful in the future. Tanking doesn’t always work. I get that if a draft pick doesn’t work out that you will likely be getting another good draft pick the next year, but what if you just keep missing out? Let’s say you lost your star before the 2000 NBA draft. You got the number 2 pick. Stromile Swift didn’t help you out all that much. No worries though. The lottery balls bounced your way in 2001 and you got the top pick! You took a big man that was going to change the future of your franchise…Kwame Brown. While you are still waiting for Kwame to turn into an all star, you are still a poor team. You still manage a #3 pick in 2002 (those lottery balls really love you). Thinking that you need to pick someone who can contribute right away, you pick one of Coach K’s great players…Mike Dunleavy Jr. On the plus side, 2003 looks to be a great draft year! Sadly, Cleveland wins the LeBron sweepstakes, but you have the number two pick. You select, Darko Milicic. Uh oh. 2004 rolls along, the lottery balls don’t quite bounce your way despite a poor season, but the number 4 pick is not bad. Say hello to Shaun Livingston. You receive a top 5 pick the next three years and select: Marvin Williams, Adam Morrison, Greg Oden, and Michael Beasley in consecutive years. Would this team be the unluckiest of all time? Probably. But the bottom line is that there are top 5 busts (or at least non-superstars) every year. And those jackass Spurs pick up Manu in the second round. I’d say, the Hornets got a good deal.