Charlotte Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins promises no "hard right turns" in reaction to his team having the worst record in the NBA at the All-Star break.

By that, Higgins means no trades that could make them cosmetically better the last 30 games of the season without having long-term value. The Bobcats could have up to $21 million in space under the salary cap next summer, and Higgins says they won't botch that with something short-sighted between now and the March 15 trade deadline.

"Panic doesn't exist for us," Higgins said Wednesday. "Once we made those trades (exchanging veterans Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson for packages that included draft picks), we have to see it through, the path we've taken: Get assets, create (cap) flexibility.

"The season is going in a direction that maybe some of us didn't envision. A disappointment, you might say. But with that being said, you cannot make that hard right and forget about what you've already done."

Higgins and general manager Rich Cho met with the Observer for a wide-ranging interview at the season's midpoint. Among key topics discussed:

bull; Higgins sees coach Paul Silas keeping his job at least through the rest of the season, despite the 4-28 start and seven losses of 30 or more points.

bull; The Bobcats could be anywhere from $5 million to $21 million under the salary cap this off-season.

bull; Higgins said team owner Michael Jordan "absolutely" has the resources and the willingness to spend the $80-$100 million it would cost to sign a maximum-salary player if such a talent was willing to sign with the Bobcats. (Jordan declined an Observer interview request.)

bull; Higgins and Cho said they'd listen to trade offers for what figures to be a very high pick in the 2012 draft, but they expect to draft a player good enough to have quick and lasting impact.

On Silas, Higgins said it's not fair to make him the fall guy for a team so far ravaged by injury. Never have the Bobcats had all 15 players available, and three starters - point guard D.J. Augustin, shooting guard Gerald Henderson and small forward Corey Maggette - have each missed long stretches of the season.

"The evaluation of Paul and his staff is always ongoing. But I don't anticipate anything this year as far as (replacing) Paul because he hasn't had his full 15-man roster yet," Higgins said. "As far as (beyond this season), that process will happen on its own."

Higgins was asked what Silas' priority should be the rest of the season - player development or winning games? - since those two agendas aren't necessarily complementary.

"I would say that development of our young talent is vitally important, and Paul knows that. But you can never take a head coach's thirst for winning away," Higgins said.

"The other thing important to us is how our players compete. Once we're healthy - all 15 guys - we'll ask Paul to see that whoever is on the court competes, and then let the chips fall as they may."

Cho arrived just before the last draft as No. 2 in the Bobcats' front office, after a brief stint overseeing the Portland Trail Blazers. He's overhauled the team's scouting system, installing a database that incorporates all pertinent information - scouting, background, injuries and contract terms - on a single page for each player they scout in the NBA, internationally, the development league and colleges.

Cho has also taken a big role in managing the salary cap. He's researched seven different scenarios that could leave the Bobcats anywhere from $5 million to $21 million under the cap this upcoming offseason.

Some of that is beyond the team's control, regarding how restricted free-agency would play out for Augustin and power forward D.J. White. By making Augustin and White one-year qualifying offers, the Bobcats would retain the right to match other teams' offers for them.

"Whether we re-sign them, whether they get offer sheets," Cho said of cap-changing circumstances. "Also, where we choose in the draft and whether we use the amnesty (clause). The range is pretty wide."

Under amnesty, the Bobcats can cut a player from their roster in the offseason and not count his remaining salary against the cap. That's a one-time opportunity in the new collective bargaining agreement, and the Bobcats chose not to use it in December.

Higgins and Cho didn't discuss who could be an amnesty candidate, but it's apparent shooting guard Matt Carroll, center Gana Diop or power forward Tyrus Thomas would be the options, based on their remaining salaries and performances this season. Using amnesty on Thomas would be the most extreme move, since they still owe him about $26 million guaranteed over the next three seasons.

Thomas is averaging about six points and five rebounds this season and shooting 37 percent from the field. Higgins was asked about Thomas' lack of production and whether the team now regrets signing him to a 5-year, $40 million contract.

"This past summer, nobody (from the team) really saw him because of the lockout. So Tyrus comes back physically looking totally different. He's not playing the same and he's probably lost 15 pounds," which has impeded his effectiveness at power forward, Higgins said.

"The regret part (concerning) the contract, you can go both ways on it. It could have been a mistake, but you also have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Can the guy, because of his youthfulness (he's 26), get back to where he was as a player when we invested in him?"

The plan

Higgins and Cho said the record doesn't change the plan, which is similar to what the Oklahoma City Thunder used when Cho was with that front office: Exercise high draft picks, don't squander cap room for short-term gain and look to acquire extra picks.

Cho noted that in the three seasons when the Thunder drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden - the core of a team now leading the Western Conference - they never won more than 31 games. The last two seasons the Thunder had six losing streaks of seven to 14 games before arriving at the group that is now among the best young rosters in the league.

"If you don't have a thick skin, you shouldn't be in the business," Cho said of fan criticism over the Bobcats' record.

If the Bobcats finish with the NBA's worst record, they'd be guaranteed no worse than the fourth pick in June's draft, under the league's lottery system. Higgins and Cho can't discuss draft prospects, but it's become apparent Kentucky freshman center Anthony Davis would be the frontrunner to be drafted first, regardless of who gets that pick. Davis is an exceptional shotblocker/rebounder with a massive wingspan. Others who could be in the top four include North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes and Connecticut center Andre Drummond.

Higgins and Cho said they would listen if a team wanted to make a trade offer for their 2012 pick, but Higgins anticipates drafting a player who "can help a team right away."

The cap room

Then comes July, and the chance to start using that cap room, either through free-agency or trades. Higgins said he feels the team has some solid pieces in Augustin and Henderson and rookies Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo.

Higgins was adamant that if a major free agent wants to sign with the Bobcats, Jordan will provide the resources for a maximum-salary contract.

The Bobcats face major issues in finding that player. Elite players such as LeBron James (Miami), Carmelo Anthony (New York) and Chris Paul (Los Angeles) all forced their ways to bigger, flashier markets than to a place like Charlotte.

It's also questionable whether such a player would be quick to join a team so seemingly far from contending for a championship. Jordan said in the preseason he'd love to find that rare player who would throw Charlotte's hopes on his back the way Jordan once did in Chicago. Elite players of late seem more concerned with migrating to teams already packed with talent.

The 2012 free-agent class could include Orlando center Dwight Howard and New Jersey point guard Deron Williams, both perennial All-Stars (although it's hard to imagine either coming to Charlotte). The Bobcats could also bank their cap room until the summer of 2013, when players such as Charlottean Stephen Curry (Golden State) could hit the market.

Higgins said alternatively to signing one "big fish," the Bobcats could spread the cap room over multiple good, young players. While the Clippers took one huge leap by trading for Paul, the Philadelphia 76ers lead the Atlantic Division with a team of minimal star power, but great depth.

"A couple of mid-level players (paid around $7 million a season) at positions where we need help," Higgins described.

The third option could be serving as a conduit for multi-team trades to acquire extra draft picks. Cho recalled a large trade exception the Thunder used in 2007 to absorb veteran Kurt Thomas' contract off the Phoenix Suns' payroll. The Suns sent two future first-round picks to the Thunder as compensation and one of those picks became power forward Serge Ibaka, another key piece to Oklahoma City's ascendency.

Higgins and Cho were asked what each values most in evaluating players. Higgins said "a fiery passion for the job. Being a competitor."

Cho said he has simple guidelines for what he wants and what he avoids:

Cho is attracted to the four C's: "Guys who compete, guys with character, guys who have consistency and guys who cover (play defense)."

He looks to avoid what he calls the four S's: "Guys who are slow, guys who are soft, guys who are stupid or guys who are selfish."