The Charlotte Bobcats didn't trade Gerald Wallace to Portland. They donated him.

The Trail Blazers gave up Joel Pryzbilla, a large reserve, Sean Marks and Dante Cunningham, less large reserves, and two future first-round draft choices.

I got more for my birthday than Charlotte got for Wallace.

The Bobcats traded him so they wouldn't have to pay him. They owed him about $21 million the next two seasons.

Pryzbilla's contract expires after the season, which means the Bobcats will have money to spend. But will they?

On their roster last summer was Erick Dampier, who had one of the NBA's most coveted contracts. Although he was scheduled to make $13 million, his contract was voidable. Charlotte could have traded him to a team that wanted to open a slot to sign a major free agent such as LeBron James.

The Bobcats, however, would have had to pay money to whomever they acquired for the contract. So they let Dampier walk.

I don't know how many millions Charlotte is losing. But the Bobcats are better at business than basketball. They've done an outstanding job retaining advertisers and season-ticket holders.

Michael Jordan, who on Sunday will have owned the team one year, is the ultimate closer. The team invited season-ticket holders who had yet to renew to a private party at Urban Sip, the wine bar on the 15th floor of the Ritz-Carlton.

Jordan is 6 feet 6 inches tall, famous and charismatic, and there he was. Saying no to him probably is difficult.

It became easier after Thursday's trade.

Wallace might not be Charlotte's most talented star, but he was the most mature. He played like an adult. He didn't allow himself to become undone by officials. He didn't require the ball to contribute. He was a testament to motion, flying through the air, landing hard, jumping back up and taking rebounds away from bigger and stronger men.

Wallace is the reason thousands of fans bought tickets and jerseys. Some of them liked to think that, given the opportunity, they'd play as hard as he did.

But let's not deify him. The Bobcats are seven games below .500. With Wallace, they are one of the Eastern Conference's better bad teams. Without him, they're Washington without John Wall.

Charlotte also traded Nazr Muhammad to Oklahoma City Thursday for D.J. White, whom I've never heard of, and Morris Peterson, who graduated from high school the same year I did.

Who excites you most - (A) Pryzbilla, (B) Marks, (C) Cunningham, (D) White or (E) Peterson?

The correct answer is F.

The Bobcats are losing lots of money. I accept that. Wallace was not always the player this season he was last season. I accept that. To improve, the Bobcats have to reconfigure their roster. I accept that.

The Bobcats have to accept this:

Fans need a reason to show up at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Jordan has to convince them that the trade of Wallace ultimately will make his team younger, faster and more competitive.

To become more competitive, however, the Bobcats will have to stop saving money.

They'll have to spend some.