OFFICIAL: Okafor signs 6 year contract for 72 million

[tamburello]

This is what ESPN reports. Months passed and it looks like Okafor won the battle against FO. He is able to take last year's offer, although he didn't show any improvement.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3509028

All in all, if this becomes official, I'll be glad to keep him and all these RFA nonsense would finish. Next job would be Felton's extension, of course if they want to keep him, if DJ was really drafted as a backup of Felton.

[Icky Thump]

Wow, thats a long contract and a good bit of change. If he's staying here for that kind of cash and for that long he best bring a change of attitude from last season (again I can understand playing under Vincent but dude needs to pick it up PERIOD). Will be good to have a decision made one way or the other.

[tamburello]

Charlotte Observer says Rod Higgins confirmed the deal.


Bobcats, Okafor agree to $72 million deal

The Charlotte Bobcats are keeping their center, at a considerable cost.

Early this morning, Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins confirmed to the Observer that the team has agreed to a six-year, $72 million deal with Emeka Okafor. Higgins expects the contract to be signed in the next few days.

The deal was first reported on ESPN.com overnight.

Higgins said he felt it was crucial for the Bobcats to retain Okafor, their best defensive player at the rim.

“You need that big guy to defend the Tim Duncans, the (Shaquille) O’Neals, the (Kevin) Garnetts,’’ Higgins said. “The big guys control the game in the post, and that’s our guy when it comes to doing that.

“The way this team is set up with (new coach) Larry (Brown), this was important. Larry is very defensive-oriented.’’

The Bobcats significantly raised their offer – both in dollars and contract length – to make this happen. A source familiar with the situation said last week the Bobcats were offering closer to $10 million this summer than the $12 million average that ultimately got the job done.

That lower offer ticked off the Okafor camp and caused some hurt feelings. Higgins told the Observer Friday that he wasn’t interested in any sign-and-trade of Okafor, but acknowledged it was also not in the team’s best interest for Okafor to sign a one-year, $7 million qualifying offer.

As other big men signed (Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut and Golden State’s Andris Biedrins) it became apparent that a long-team deal, in the $12 million-average range, was a fair number.

“It was a long time coming – actually about a year of negotiations,’’ Higgins said. “Any time you have a player like Emeka – a rebounder (10.8 per game), a defender at the rim, it’s imperative for a team to keep a guy like that.’’

http://www.charlotte.com/bobcats/story/733240.html

[amour217]

Well I'm glad this is all over. All I have to say is Okafor better EARN his money and play like he has a pair.

[spectre]

YES!!!!

Interesting that we added a year AND that we so quickly moved up from the reported 10 per to 12. Could Bonnell's reporting have actually sped up the process? At any rate it certainly appears that the agent helped his client by leaking where the Bobcats were in negotiations.

I'm ecstatic that we got this done!!!

[chabber]

YEA!!! I was seriously set thinking we'd just get him to sign the QO. This rocks!!

[Icky Thump]

Well I'm glad this is all over. All I have to say is Okafor better EARN his money and play like he has a pair.

AMEN!!!! Glad to have it over with, if nothing else it will show other players we will pay our players.

[spectre]

We've retained every FA worth their salt so far (if I'm not mistaken) and the only one that can be argued as overpaying would be Hammer...and he's on a declining deal. People will say that Mek is overpaid, but 12 per IMO is around what he should be getting. We didn't get a great deal like Crash, but I think we paid him what he's worth in the marketplace.

They should be proud of that...and so should we.

[murphman]

Interesting. Both sides were backed into a corner somewhat that is why I assumed he would sign the QO and move on next year to a team with some cap space.

The FO caved. We already have an overpaid player on the roster with a long term deal (MC), and if G-Force gets another concussion this season we may have two. I hope this isn't another.

[WarioVsMooChicken]

This is a great deal. It's hard to find a big as good as Mek for that kind of money.

[ohara831]

I'm good with the $12 mil/yr. At least we did not cave and go for $13+. But given that some lesser big men are signing for $10+, I cant argue with $12 mil. Now, if he can just stay motivated and play like we know he can play, all will be fine.

Dont think we get Josh Smith now. Wont have the $ without trading someone. Oh well, LB will have to work some magic.

[Muttley]

Locked-up-afor!


This is a great deal. It's hard to find a big as good as Mek for that kind of money.

I'm gonna have to agree with that. The FO can't get steals from every player like we did with Crash. I think that Okafor will play with more passion this season with this issue settled. I feel confident in saying this because last season he showed that he's not the typical FA that plays out of his mind for one year just because it's a contract year.

[Slam]

I'm stoked the big guy will be around long term.

I just hope he takes some of that $72 mill and invests in some angry pills and a FT coach.

[Keetch]

I'm stoked the big guy will be around long term.

I just hope he takes some of that $72 mill and invests in some angy pills and a FT coach.

I think Mek will thrive under Larry Brown and for the most part, these issues will fade away. I bet we see lots of improvement with a great coach and all these distractions gone. I'm very happy they "got this done" as some of you were suggesting....was very worried the S&T rumors were more than agent posturing...but that's all they were after all.

[ohara831]

Does anyone with knowledge of our payroll know what this does with our ability to grap a PF now? What room, if any, do we have? Is there any way we can get Josh Smith? I know Atlanta would have to do a S&T and we'd have to send players, but I'd send May,Morrison and Hollins packing if I could get Smith in a Bobcat's uniform.

[TheLegend]

What position Josh Smith plays anyway??

[countryboi]

normally i dont like to overpay for players but with a center like meka...i think its a good thing....its at least 20 teams willing to play 72 mil and or more for meka services...not that they have the money....guys like him are hard to find and you have to keep them around....remember zo?
i never forgave the hornets for that shit

[spectre]

Smith plays PF and he'd be absolutely great with us if we didn't have to give up a starter...but we would.

http://www.bobcatsplanet.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7584

From Tamb's great thread. If Mek's rate is flat then we're at 62,182,262 with 1 roster spot left...well above the cap and 8,967,738 from the luxury limit.

Barring a trade I see us maybe throwing a mid MLE deal to a big.

[murphman]

Smith plays PF and he'd be absolutely great with us if we didn't have to give up a starter...but we would.

http://www.bobcatsplanet.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7584

From Tamb's great thread. If Mek's rate is flat then we're at 62,182,262 with 1 roster spot left...well above the cap and 8,967,738 from the luxury limit.

Barring a trade I see us maybe throwing a mid MLE deal to a big.

I don't know, we are now sitting on 13 players signed and we still haven't offered a contract to our 2nd round pick yet. Who is going to get cut/traded?

[Muttley]

I don't know, we are now sitting on 13 players signed and we still haven't offered a contract to our 2nd round pick yet. Who is going to get cut/traded?

I'm still surprised that we signed Hollins. I know he's cheap, but still... I guess LB must see something in him that he'll be able to bring out and turn him into a productive player. I hope they see more than what we've seen in the past with his athleticism. Maybe, though, a actual coach is all needs.

[Mustachio]

I'm still surprised that we signed Hollins. I know he's cheap, but still... I guess LB must see something in him that he'll be able to bring out and turn him into a productive player. I hope they see more than what we've seen in the past with his athleticism. Maybe, though, a actual coach is all needs.


yeah and hopefully its not the same thing we saw in him when he first got here.

good to have Oak on board. but now he has a serious contract to play up to. hope he doesnt disappoint.

[WAM9]

I am extremely excited that we have resigned Okafor for 6 years. I think this will be thought of as a huge positive move in the frachise's history when looked back upon in 10 years.

A couple of random thoughts...

1 ) People constantly question the Bobcats (and MJ) as negotiators. This is a huge win for the Bobcats' front office. The same deal was turned down 1 year ago with Okafor trying to get more money. The front office held out and played their cards perfectly. They lowballed Okafor with $10 million per to reset the market. Even with the complexity of guys like Bogut being overpaid for and, as Bonnell correctly puts it, "comps" showing Okafor is worth more, the FO negotiates him "up" to their original offer. Higgins kept a very level head thoughout. Very good indeed. This should not be missed.

2 ) Previous to today, many people said that if Okafor was resigned, then we would know that basketball minds like Larry Brown and MJ were in charge and that if he signed the RFA offer sheet and walked or was traded that Bob Johnson was in charge (and cheap). The Bobcats have been labeled in the past as cheap but things like the Richardson trade and retaining guys like Wallace and Okafor to long-term deals absolutely are examples of the opposite. At the end of the day, Larry Brown knew he needed a player like Okafor to truly be successful. That leads me to my next point.

3 ) Obviously, after a $12 million per year investment, Okafor will be a cornerstone to our franchise for at least the next 5 or 6 years. Lots of folks are talking about Okafor "earning" his money now and that he needes to step it up. While I don't disagree with the sentiment, who in the hell was he supposed to learn from in the past? He has had no good veteran big men to mentor from. He has had no great big man coaches to learn from and god knows that his head coaching has been lacking (especially, ESPECIALLY last year). Now he has Larry Brown. Larry Brown has supposedly already greatly improved Hollins footwork, just in summer league. Think of what he could do with Okafor. I think of what Ben Wallace was to the Pistons championship team. Okafor could be way better. With Larry Brown plans, he will probably need a "Wallace" and Okafor is more than suited to fit the bill. Think Ben Wallace with twice as many points. I love the possibilities.

If I didn't mention it, I am stoked about Okafor and the team's overall direction. GO BOBCATS!!!!!!!!

[davcbow]

Thats a lot of money but glad to have are original big man back on board for another 6 years. Goooo Bobcats!:cool:

[Dead_Real]

I cosign everyone elses thoughts in here this situation was played perfectly by management and shows me they really want a winning product in Charlotte by giving Brown the peices he'll need. I thought they should have just offered the same deal he turned down last year but like I said this was played perfectly by the front office the "Crash like deal" being lower than expected made this one all the more attractive.

Now sign a PF I heard Sean Williams is on the block.

[MattD]

you know what, i am glad this is done. weve got him, he is a corner stone. now its time to address our many other areas of improvement. Glad Mek is back for a while, even if I did get really mad at him often last season. Hopefully with LB, he will get the intensity he needs. That would be deadly

[MattD]

I cosign everyone elses thoughts in here this situation was played perfectly by management and shows me they really want a winning product in Charlotte by giving Brown the peices he'll need. I thought they should have just offered the same deal he turned down last year but like I said this was played perfectly by the front office the "Crash like deal" being lower than expected made this one all the more attractive.

Now sign a PF I heard Sean Williams is on the block.

i do love sean williams, they call him area 51 for his freakish shot blocking. the rookie sophmore game he was awesome

[Alex]

Glad this is over. I'm glad we're keeping Emeka and hopefully he has the best season of his career under Larry Brown to prove to all of us that he is worth the $12 million per year.

[spectre]

This deal is actually LESS than last year's. The previous contract was 5/60 with 5 million in possible incentives; this one is 6/72 with (I assume) no incentives...so we saved a possible 5 million.

IF there are incentives included in that 72 million then we made out even better.

[ReesieNCPantherCatfan1]

Just read the news, so I am late to the Mek party, but that won't keep me from piggybacking on all of the love. Man I am excited that he will be here for the next 6 years! I absolutely dreaded some of the offer brought up in a sign and trade. Today is a good day in Bobcatland!

[tamburello]

We have to wait for the clarification of the situation. You see, Biedrins' deal was reportedly 63 million, however it's said that it's actually 54 million, 9 million is incentives. So we should wait and see the exact numbers. Unfortunately everyone says that the deal is "at least" 72 million, so I guess there will be some incentives.

Anyway, we have MLE and BAE at the moment, we are far away from lux tax limit, we have 13 players under contract + Weaver, so to add depth to PF, we have very limited options. I guess it's no brainer that we have to bring a PF, right?

So, I checked the remaining FA's and I loved none of them. At least, none of them adresses our problems. I'm hearing that we should S&T for Josh Smith. However, RFA S&T's are very very uncommon in NBA because of rules. The last RFA Sign&Trade I remember was back to 2005, when Atlanta acquired S&T RFA Joe Johnson for Diaw + a couple of picks. And as far as I remember, Atlanta was able to absorb the difference between the contracts.

Assuming Smith signs 12 million and agrees to come us and we'd send Hawks 6 million. But since we are now over the cap, how can we absorb the difference of 6 million now? IMHO, RFA S&T are only suitable for under cap teams (spectre, confirm me). So please forget about him.

I don't know very well, but Elton Brown could be considered as well as Nick Fazekas and Josh Powell. These names are by no means flashy, however, I can't see so much options. Moreover, we have not so many good trade pieces, only Wallace. Who would want to take May? A team who wants cap space. Who would want to take Morrison? I guess no-one. David Lee would be wonderful, but he would not solve our low-post scoring drought. He's just a good energy guy, that's all. Not a consistent scoring weapon.

[spectre]

It can be done; you have to make the trade big enough where 125% covers the spread. Without looking at any numbers I'd assume it'd take May and Ammo + Crash...making us very thin at the 3. If they made us take Claxton then we'd probably have to include Duds as well.

I'd also have to think ATL could get a better deal than that. Wasn't the DET rumor Billups + Maxiell+1st for Smith/Claxton or Prince/Amir/1st for Smith/Claxton? I've also heard LAL is offering Odom/Farmer/1st.

[Ghost Kat]

I'm very happy we locked up Okafor for long term. Even though the deal is done, 12 mil. a year might be over doing it. He has never been an all star, Even though he did win rookie of the year. He and Dwight Howard were the top two picks of that draft. We all know what Dwight has done, But Okeka averages 14 points for his career. He's a beast defensively and a great offense and defensive Grown man on the broads, But when he runs down to the other end if someones does get him the ball 5 feet from the basket he's pretty much useless. I'm hoping new coaching can improve his offensive foot work.

[tamburello]

I'm very happy we locked up Okafor for long term. Even though the deal is done, 12 mil. a year might be over doing it. He has never been an all star, Even though he did win rookie of the year. He and Dwight Howard were the top two picks of that draft. We all know what Dwight has done, But Okeka averages 14 points for his career. He's a beast defensively and a great offense and defensive Grown man on the broads, But when he runs down to the other end if someones does get him the ball 5 feet from the basket he's pretty much useless. I'm hoping new coaching can improve his offensive foot work.
I believe it's unfair to compare Okafor and Howard just for being selected respectively. Back in 2004, Howard was a potential, Okafor was a NCAA champion and F4 MVP, but Okafor was so close to his ceiling (unfortunately). Magic did not make a mistake, chose Howard. Okafor didn't show the improvement we seek, however it would not be so attention gathering unless Howard was a real beast.

By the way, I'd like to extend my list of Fazekas, Powell and Elton Brown, by adding Carl Landry and Juwon Howard (unlikely since he'll seek a contender).

[ammofan]

Hey Guys,

I have been at work all day today but I knew about the sih=gning early this morning. I don't think Okafor is worth 72 millie BUT 72 is a good price if you want a quality big.

[Dead_Real]

i do love sean williams, they call him area 51 for his freakish shot blocking. the rookie sophmore game he was awesome
He has a mean crossover for a 6"10 guy.

Williams, Crash and Okafor would put fear in a lot of players trying to drive the paint I'm not sure if it would work I'd have to put it in the trade checker but I'd do McMay/Twiggy for him our starting line up would be even more exciting.

[ziggy]

I'm so glad that this deal is done.
I'm willing to bet that we are going to see an entirely different #50 next season playing under a real coach.

[davcbow]

I'm so glad that this deal is done.
I'm willing to bet that we are going to see an entirely different #50 next season playing under a real coach.

I agree Ziggy, I think the entire team will look totally different now that we have a real coach and not a bojangles wannabee.....:cool:

[spectre]

For those who think we overpaid for Mek:

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-080729-luol-deng-chicago-bulls,1,4465794.story



The Bulls and Luol Deng are on the verge of completing a six-year deal worth $71 million, league sources told the Tribune.

Jason Levien, Deng's representative, flew to Chicago Tuesday to finalize the deal, which could be announced officially as early as Wednesday. Sources said incentives could push the deal's value to $80 million.

Deng turned down a five-year, $57.5 million extension last summer.


THAT'S overpaying.

[TheBeagle]

For those who think we overpaid for Mek:

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-080729-luol-deng-chicago-bulls,1,4465794.story



THAT'S overpaying. THAT's disgusting is what it is! WOW!! I don't get that at all, but it sure makes the Mek signing look even better!

For my pennysworth on the Mek re-signing, I'll just reiterate what I said on the "Oak -a ?" thread: it had to be done, basically whatever the cost. FAs of any significant caliber don't want to come to Charlotte to play right now, and maybe even farther into the future. We've got a bad image, warranted or not, and it's filtered through to the players around the league, and so we have to acquire our talent via trades and the draft, and we MUST lock-up our talent or we're screwed. With that in mind, MJ and Co. can add another feather to their cap after today. There was nobody on the market of Mek's ability/presence for us to realistically acquire (i.e. Elton Brand), so MJ did the only thing he could do: re-sign Mek.

For all his quirks, foibles, inconsistencies, etc., guy's like Mek aren't a dime a dozen; he's an important piece to the puzzle, and his loss would've been huge. Kudos to Bob, MJ, Rod, and LB (for making it known that he must have Mek on his roster) for getting it done and finished with before it continued to grow and fester and cause more hurt feelings.

Taking injuries out of the equation, I think we're still another year away from the playoffs, but damned if this team won't be so much more fun to watch and pull for than last year's flawed version!

[Ghost Kat]

It's easy to complare Omeka with Howard they were the first two picks of the draft. I'm looking for Production from the #2 pick. I want every year for you to get better, Allstar better. Yes he won a NCAA title, But he still plays the same way. How has his offensive ability changed any from his college day's? He still doesn't have a jumper, No real hook shot or back the basket moves. I've said before on the Defensive end he's a beast, But when you expect big money for playing one end of the court it just sounds greedy. I'm very happy we resigned him, He's a big part of our defense around the rim. But for this team to seriously compete he needs to be able to score from more then 5 feet away.

[tamburello]

Okafor signs the official deal and here is the press release.


Bobcats Re-Sign Emeka Okafor

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins today announced that the team has re-signed restricted free agent forward/center Emeka Okafor to a multi-year deal. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“It was important for us to get a deal done,” Higgins said. “Securing Emeka demonstrates that Bob Johnson and the rest of our ownership group are committed to building a winning franchise in Charlotte. Any time you have a player who consistently ranks among the NBA’s best in rebounding and shot blocking, you want to keep a guy like that around.”

The second overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Okafor earned 2004-05 NBA Rookie of the Year honors, becoming just the third player from an expansion team to win the award. The 6-10 Okafor has played in 248 games over four seasons with the Bobcats, averaging 14.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots.

“This is a great opportunity for me to continue my NBA career with the franchise that selected me back in 2004,” Okafor said. “The Bobcats and the entire Charlotte community embraced me from day one, and it’s exciting to enter this season with a Hall of Fame coach and teammates who are committed to winning.”

Okafor is one of only four NBA players to average a double-double in each of the last four seasons, along with Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. He is the Bobcats all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots and double-doubles, and ranks second in scoring, field goal percentage and minutes played. Okafor will enter the 2008-09 season with active franchise-record streaks of 93 consecutive games played and 92 consecutive games started.

Okafor averaged 13.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots during the 2007-08 season, while shooting a career-high .535 from the field and playing all 82 games for the first time in his career. Okafor ranked sixth in the NBA in rebounding, tied for 10th in both blocked shots and double-doubles and 12th in field goal percentage. He was one of 13 players in the NBA to average a double-double for the season.

In 2006-07, Okafor averaged 14.4 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and was the only player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in rebounds, blocked shots and double-doubles. He blocked a career-high and franchise-record 10 shots on January 12, 2007, against the Knicks, setting a Madison Square Garden record and tying the NBA record of eight blocked shots in a half. Okafor averaged 12.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in an injury-shortened 2005-06 season. Despite playing in just 26 games due to an ankle injury, he still ranked second on the team with 16 double-doubles.

After becoming the first draft pick in Bobcats history, Okafor averaged 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds in 2004-05, leading all rookies in both categories. One of 11 NBA players to average a double-double for the season, he ranked third in the league in offensive rebounds, fourth in rebounds and double-doubles and 14th in blocks. Okafor was a three-time winner of the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award en route to Rookie of the Year honors.

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/sign_okafor_080731.html

[jpf_v2.0]

Still anxious to see the breakdown.

[110oldeast]

Wondering about what base is versus potential with incentives.


Still anxious to see the breakdown.

[ALong13]

I've been gone on vacation when i saw this, so I'm now just commenting on it...When I was leaving the message was Bobcats and Okafor no-where near close to deal, 2-3 days later a deal is done...I like what they have given him, and I believe his stats will improve with Brown as the coach...I really think his scoring went down last year due to 2 things JRich being in town and the coach...Vincent is now gone, so I think he see's the ball more and the points go up a few, I don't see a 20 point score, but I could definitely see a 15-16 ppg and 12-13 rpg season..he showed last season he could stay healthy and I think he can do it again. I love the signing, I don't think they overpaid him due to the market now, so I thought it was a good signing

[jpf_v2.0]

Emeka only averaged about half a shot less (.56 if you want to get exact) last year than he did in 2006-07.

That half a shot per game on the shooting percentage he had last year would have translated into 42 more points on the year which would've raised his scoring average to 14.3.

So that half a shot a game less, translates into the exact same reduction in scoring.

[110oldeast]

Mek got around 10.5 shots a game, which is 10th in the league for centers, the position he plays from an offensive standpoint. If he improved his back to the basket and/or faceup game, he would get more shots.

The 9 guys who got more shots than he did were:

1) A. Jefferson
2) Y. Ming
3) A. Stoudemire
4) T. Duncan
5) C. Kaman
6) Z. Ilgauskas
7) D. Howard
8) M. Okur
9) A. Bogut

Is there anyone on that list who you would expect him to get more shots than without improving his post moves or his shooting range?