# Okafor rejects extension.Plans to remain in Charlotte



## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

LINK



> Seemingly, the only thing they don't agree on is a number.
> The Charlotte Bobcats say they want center-forward Emeka Okafor for the long haul. Okafor says he wants to stay here. But that mutual desire wasn't sufficient to complete a long-term agreement before Wednesday's NBA deadline.
> Okafor will be a restricted free agent come July, but he says that's not the first step toward a departure from the team that drafted him in 2004.
> "I plan to be here -- I love the city, I love the team, I love the staff. It's just a matter of time for things to work out," Okafor said after the last practice before tonight's season opener against Milwaukee.
> ...


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## Ruff Draft (Nov 21, 2004)

Prove that your not made of glass first.


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## nutmeged3 (Apr 11, 2005)

Yeah, I think this is going to be best for him. If he's able to play 70+ games (which we certainly need him) then I think we'll have to give him a max contract but right now he just doesn't deserve it. Best thing is that he says the contract we offered wasn't insulting it just wasn't what he wanted.

Just sucks that next offseason we are going to actually have to face competition to sign him, granted we'll have the right to match. So much for re-signing Emeka being our #1 priority this offseason.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

He will be an RFA after this season.13 million seems pretty fair to me honestly.He hasn't done enough to merit more and since there are going to be a lot of really big time FA's next summer I don't think he can do much better as a RFA.I don't know what his agent is advising him,but I would have told him to sign that deal.The risks are a lot greater than any significant increase he might get.If he were a UFA then he'd certainly have a great chance to play his way into a something close to a max deal(it would probably start out at 13 and go up to 18 over five years).As an RFA he really can't expect to make an awful lot more.In fact we might be able to lowball him next summer.


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## edyzbasketball (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm a fan of Okafor, but asking for more than a 13$ million contract per year is a bit too much for the amount of injuries he had.


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

Heck, I find the $13M per year offer too much.


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## nutmeged3 (Apr 11, 2005)

I saw something about Al Jefferson having the same agent as Okafor and his agent told him to reject the same offer Okafor received and he ignored him. So I'm guessing Okafor was told the same thing but he listened and wants to go get a bigger deal next summer


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## WhoDaBest23 (Apr 16, 2003)

Word is Okafor wants something around 5 for $85 million, practically what Dwight got from the Magic. I thought $13 million was a lot for him, but what he's asking for is pretty laughable.


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## ~spectre~ (Aug 9, 2007)

Mek/Dwight

PPG 16.5 - 16.3
RPG 13.5 - 13.3 
APG 1.0 - 1.7
SPG 2.0 - 0.0
BPG 3.0 - 3.7
FG% 0.583 - 0.486
FT% 0.313 - 0.625
3P% 0.000 - 0.000
MPG 38.0 - 35.3

Last year Dwight averaged .1 better FG%, same FT %, 1 more Rebound, 0.7 more blocks and 3 more PPG for around the same PT.

Maybe not so laughable after all?


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## Ninerballin (Feb 21, 2006)

~spectre~ said:


> Mek/Dwight
> 
> PPG 16.5 - 16.3
> RPG 13.5 - 13.3
> ...


Let's see those averages might be good, but let's look at this ONE little fact.

Dwight Howard has played in 81 more games than Okafor has. THAT'S A FULL SEASON!

Howard has played in 82 games in each of his first 3 seasons.

Okafor - 73,26,67...

That's why Okafor doesn't even deserve close to what the deal Howard got. If he shows he can stay healthy, and put up those types of numbers all season then maybe we'll start talking.

Also, you are looking at averages 3 games into the season. Look at the career averages, that will give you a better outlook.

FACT- Howard has played 3000 more minutes than Okafor has played in their young career. Orlando doesn't mind paying D12 the big bucks because they know they get more bang for their buck.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Howard is younger than Okafor was when he came into the league.Okafor is three years and three months older than Howard who isn't going to be 22 until December 8th.

Howard is getting a maximum deal based on the premise that he has a great deal of unrealized potential.You can't make the same argument for Okafor.In fact you have to conclude that he's actually failed to improve over the past three years.I don't believe he's substantially better than he was as a rookie.

If someone else wants to offer him a Max deal next then I'm ready to let Okafor go.We really need him and it would hurt this team badly if we lost him,but signing him to a MAX contract would hurt this team far worse.

At any rate next year he's an RFA and it's highly unlikely that he leaves unless there's a S&T.There are a lot of really top rate UFA's next year and it's unlikely that many teams will have anything close to the amount of capspace needed to sign a MAX FA.


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## ~spectre~ (Aug 9, 2007)

> If he shows he can stay healthy, and put up those types of numbers all season then maybe we'll start talking.


That was the point of contention and why there was no deal struck. We offered 13 and he wanted approx. 16 million. Mek didn't sign our deal because he wanted to prove different. He called this a "goal oriented" season.

We're only talking like 3 million per year.



> You can't make the same argument for Okafor.In fact you have to conclude that he's actually failed to improve over the past three years.I don't believe he's substantially better than he was as a rookie.


Some of the games Mek had last year:

*Emeka Okafor - January 12 at New York (W 126-110)
20 points, 9-14 field goals, franchise-high 10 blocks, nine rebounds* 

*Emeka Okafor - December 29 vs. L.A. Lakers (W 133-124 3OT)
22 points, 10-15 field goals, franchise-high 25 rebounds, four blocks*

*Emeka Okafor - November 15 at San Antonio (W 95-92 OT)
19 points, 9-18 field goals, nine rebounds, five blocks, career-high five steals* 

*Emeka Okafor - November 18 at Orlando (L 83-97)
26 points, 13-15 field goals, nine rebounds, 2 steals*

What Mek can gain is CONSISTENCY. Up til now his big guy coach has been John Blair Bickerstaff. We never ran but a couple of plays for him and they were mostly isolation. The one that did work (and still works...used it last game) is the give and go between him and Felts. We've brought in Mokeski to help develop his game. If he can learn consistency then absolutely he's worth the max.


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