Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced that the team has extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Emeka Okafor and Ryan Hollins and picked up the 2008-09 team option on the contract of Jermareo Davidson.
In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.
Okafor, the 2004-05 NBA Rookie of the Year, has averaged 14.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in 248 career games for the Bobcats since being selected by the team with the second overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. Last season, he averaged 13.8 points and 10.7 rebounds while shooting a career-high .535 from the field and played all 82 games for the first time in his career.
Hollins, who was selected by Charlotte with the 50th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, has averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 87 career games, including averages of 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 60 games played last season.
Davidson, the 36th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft whose rights were acquired from Golden State as part of the trade that brought Jason Richardson to Charlotte, averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.5 minutes in 38 games played last season.
The Bobcats declined to exercise the 2008-09 option on the contract of Othella Harrington. Harrington spent the past two seasons with Charlotte, averaging 2.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 48 games played. Harrington missed 71 games during his time with the Bobcats due to two left knee surgeries.
