Observations: Is Ford still in Bobcats' future? By Rick Bonnell Posted: Tuesday, Mar. 16, 2010 I spoke with Pacers point guard T.J. Ford before Tuesday's game to check how close he thought he was to being joining the Bobcats at the trade deadline. Charlotte and Indiana were in discussions on a deal that would have sent Ford and Brandon Rush to Charlotte for D.J. Augustin, Gerald Henderson and Nazr Mohammed. Ford got a call from his agent as he was headed for a team flight informing him of the talks. The Bobcats ultimately decided against it, and I'm told that was about owner Bob Johnson's reluctance to take Ford's $8.5 million salary next season. "I assume it got close if it came right down" to the 3 p.m. trade deadline, said Ford, who has a strained groin. The way I hear it, the Bobcats saw Ford as a safety net should Raymond Felton leave via unrestricted free agency this summer. That has me wondering: If negotiations with Felton get sticky, would it make sense to explore a sign-and-trade for Ford? Newly signed Larry Hughes will have a doctor's appointment in Charlotte before the team leaves late Thursday for Atlanta. His broken left hand could be cleared to start contact at that examination. --

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