ESPN reports that Okafor has reached an agreement with the Bobcats over an extension:
The Charlotte Bobcats have agreed in principle on a six-year contract worth at least $72 million with restricted free agent Emeka Okafor.
General manager Rod Higgins confirmed the agreement Tuesday to local reporters, saying that he expects the contract to be completed “in the next few days” after an ESPN.com report said the sides had made significant progress in the past week and were on the verge of a deal.The agreement with Okafor by far represents Charlotte’s biggest expenditure on one player as the club readies for its fifth season. Okafor turned down a five-year deal with a similar $12 million annual average before last season, preferring to wait for restricted free agency.
“It was very important for us to get a deal done,” Higgins told The Associated Press. “He creates a sense of security around the basket for us. He’s a guy that I think his skills are still developing in a lot of ways. Having Larry [Brown] as our head coach now, Emeka will benefit having a great coach to teach him.”
Terrible move by the Bobcats. It’s simply too much money. Okafor isn’t good enough to be the best big man on a contender. He’s a good player but he’s a notch or two below being an All-Star. This will be a debilitating contract for the club. Now with Richardson, Emeka, Wallace, Carroll, Nazr all taking up the cap space … there’s just no room for the club to go. They’ve maxed out as a 30-something win ball club. This is a very depressing day for a Bobcats fan.
