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July 03, 2012
Playing for hometown Charlotte Bobcats is appealing to Antawn Jamison
Fourteen seasons removed from him being drafted into the NBA, Charlottean Antawn Jamison could finally make a homecoming with the Bobcats.
An unrestricted free agent, Jamison is scheduled to visit the Bobcats Thursday, according to a report on Yahoo Sports. A source close to Jamison confirmed to the Observer he'll meet with the Bobcats, but that source was uncertain whether that meeting will happen Thursday.
Jamison has expressed interest in playing for the Bobcats and at least one Bobcats executive has said the team needs a veteran/mentor. Jamison would seem to fill that bill.
In a January interview with the Observer, Jamison said, “That’s always been a dream of mine – to be home. To have my parents there (at home games), to have my kids there.
“Having the kids come to the games with me all the time? That would be great.’’
Jamison has built a large home in the Charlotte area, where his family lives. He has two young children – 6 and 2 at the time of that January interview – and Jamison didn’t want to uproot them by moving the family to Cleveland the past three winters.
Assuming the Bobcats make a competitive offer, Jamison will have to balance the ties to home agaisnt the chance to join a title contender late in his career. He has played for a number of losing teams.
Jamison grew up in Charlotte, starring at Providence High before moving on to North Carolina. He was drafted fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors in 1998, then quickly traded to the Golden State Warriors.
The Bobcats have abundant room under the salary cap this off-season. Jamison (6-foot-8 and 223 pounds) has played both small forward and power forward over his long NBA career. Last season he averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in a similar veteran role with the rebuilding Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bobcats vice chairman Curtis Polk was asked last month for various ways the team might use its cap space. Polk told the Observer the front office would like to add a veteran presence in the locker room.
“A really classy guy who could also be a teacher and mentor. And he comes here for two years at $5 million a year,’’ Polk described. “And then we get the (cap) room back after that.’’
Jamison said in January he anticipated playing two or three more NBA seasons.
While Jamison was productive last season, his field-goal percentage has declined. Three seasons ago he shot 48.5 percent from the field. Last season he shot a career-low 40.3 percent.
hould he sign here, the Bobcats would become Jamison’s fifth NBA team. He played his first five seasons for the Warriors before one season as sixth man for a Dallas Mavericks team that won 52 games.
Jamison then spent six seasons with the Washington Wizards. Four of his five seasons averaging 20 or more points were in Washington. He was dealt to Cleveland in 2009 in one of several attempts by Cavs management to surround LeBron James with talent before James left for the Miami Heat.
Posted by Observer Sports on July 3, 2012 at 12:30 PM | Permalink
Comments
Seems like a good fit for all parties!! Classy guy.
Posted by: appstategrad2008 | Jul 3, 2012 12:53:17 PM
Yeah, 4-foot if he does his hair up like he likes. Also, don't fall for his elevated shoes he wears that he got off a kiss costume. Charlotte has too have the shortest sports writer in the country... Fact
P.S. would love to have Jamison back home to help be a mentor to the team. If the price is right though. We just are escaping cap-hell the last thing we need to do is overpay.
Posted by: English Professor CMS | Jul 3, 2012 1:19:45 PM
Hey Antawn, give the Cats a hometown discount and parlay that into a post-playing career job.
Bring back Shaun Livingston and amnesty Matt Carroll (TThomas will cost too much to amnesty) and this team could be competitive (relatively speaking obviously).
Posted by: Sambo | Jul 3, 2012 2:14:03 PM
I'd be for it if they can get Jamison on the cheap. I'm just not sure how much gas that guy has left in the tank.
Posted by: Curry | Jul 3, 2012 3:17:12 PM
Why would the Bobcats want to trade for Livingston having already dumped him? Furthermore, Houston wants to keep him, so I don't see your point.
Posted by: Michael Procton | Jul 3, 2012 6:52:41 PM
They only have "an abundance" of cap room if they amnesty a big contract AND let augustin and brown walk if they get offer sheets elsewhere. They are over 44 mil before you add in 2 rookies and augustin and brown. Not a lot of cap room after that. What's mkg's scale? Like 4?
Posted by: charlottean | Jul 3, 2012 8:10:42 PM
The minimum that Jordan has to spend is $46.35 Million. The Maximum will be approximately $58-$60 Million. The Bobcats will spend $4.8 million this year on MKG, another $4 million to DJ Augustin, $1 mil to Derrick Brown.
The Cats may have enough money for a mid level contract, but there will be no big name, like Eric Gordon. Michael is never using the Amnesty Clause, so get those thoughts out of your head.
Posted by: Kurly K smokes baloney | Jul 3, 2012 9:38:15 PM
The Bobcats won't sign two forwards from free agency (for both financial and basketball reasons). If the choice is between Jamison and J.J. Hickson, I'd definitely prefer Hickson: a young player with upside who can be a building block in the team's youth project, vs. a 36 years old veteran past his prime.
Antwan Jamison is a player I always liked. He definitely can still be a great help (coming off the bench) for a contender. But he's hardly what this rebuilding project needs now.
I get the need for a veteran leader/mentor, but I don't think it prevails over getting a young player who can be productive for many years; also, that need can be met otherwise.
For instance, IF D.J. Augustin leaves the team, we'll need a new starting point guard. That could be the job for a classy veteran.
Posted by: Sandy | Jul 4, 2012 12:00:46 AM
Have to agree ^^^ . Okc didn't have veterans unless you count collison and he was young when this whole thing started in 2007.
I think it'd be cool for jamison to finish his career here, but he is playing too welll to be able to have him on the roster and not pllay him. If you play him a lot, he's taken development time away from somebody. Again this is where diaw passing the ball all the time would have helped some of the young guys get shots every game but I know that ship is long sailed.
We need augustin back badly. That needs to be prioriity 1. And preferrably for a 3 year deal minimum. Him signing the QO just means he's gone next summer.
Posted by: charlottean | Jul 4, 2012 10:35:52 AM
Charlotte needs a scorer. Jamison fits the bill nicely.
Posted by: PhilW57 | Jul 4, 2012 4:27:23 PM
I want to know what this offer to dragic is. He's asking for 10 mil a year and a starting job. If we give him significantly more than augustin was offered, cho is officially not sam presti. Look at the numbers per 36 and shooting %'s and results. Basically same guy. Better size, but past that...same guy. Augustin is a bit better with turnovers and free throws. If they offer dragic anything big, that's incredible.
All that said, dragic is way better than walker and if augustin really doesn't want to be here....awesome. definitely best alternate option the way things are playing out. I prefer augustin if the price is better.
Posted by: charlottean | Jul 5, 2012 1:13:01 AM
As much as i like Jamison, I have to agree with Charlottean. Jamison's stats would require him to start. That might help us win some games but it would take away minutes from some of the young guys.
Posted by: apauldds | Jul 5, 2012 8:29:18 AM
Can we please pay d.j. now? We can front load it so it doesn't hurt us. 7.5 a year for dragic and lin and 9 for 38 year old nash after he was offered 12 means d.j. is worth at least 6.5 if not 7.5.
I am assuming he doesn't want to be here, but we have given no indication that he's even wanted. Which one is the cause and which one is the effect? We let this dude go and we're drafting ANOTHER pg top 10 next year. Awesome.
Posted by: charlottean | Jul 5, 2012 1:40:05 PM
Maybe the cats are planning on starting Walker at 1 and having Gordon back up both him and Henderson?
Posted by: apauldds | Jul 6, 2012 9:16:45 AM
Having Gordon and Jamison would be a nice core to build character for the rookies. I still think playing Biyombo at power forward and leaving him there to learn position is key to Bobcats future. He will become the new Dennis Rodman player for MJ team. Jamison could bring game could become his mentor. With fast game need speed at PF and experience.
Posted by: kelso | Jul 6, 2012 11:15:29 AM
With free Agents like: Flynn, Shannon Brown, OJ Mayo, Lou Williams, Pietrus, Brandon Bass, Jeff green, JJ hickson, kris Humphries, Antwan Jamison, DeShawn Stevenson, Marcus Camby, Roy Hibbert, Jordan Hill, brook Lopez, JaVale McGee.
I fail to see why the Bobcats have money and a sorry team.
Posted by: theTRUTH | Jul 6, 2012 12:01:00 PM
The only young guys worth signing on that list are hickson, green and maaaaybe lou williams. we've talked to hickson, green isn't interested and is supposedly getting way overpaid by the celtics, and williams wouldnt really help us and is easily replaceable.
Mcgee and lopez are both mediocre. I'd take biyombo and mullens over both. Especially when mcgee is asking for like 14 a year.
And they better not be thinking about starting walker unless he all of a sudden learned to be a point guard AND how to shoot. Going from felton to augustin was the right move given the timing and price difference and augustin has done everything felton did statistically more or less with worse surrounding talent. Walker isn't ready, timing isn't right and the price isn't that much of a problem given the alternative.
The replacement cost for augustin is the same as what you could sign him for and he's younger than his replacement will be.
Looking forward to summer league, do we have a team in vegas or do we not have a team this year? horrible if we of all people don't.
Posted by: charlottean | Jul 6, 2012 12:44:49 PM
Please get rid of DJ. No energy. Kemba brings passion and hustle!!
Love AJ finishing career here and think Ben Gordon backing up Gerald and Walker could be nice way to play it with AJ, MKG, and BB. Get are 3 newbies playing and development time with two vets. Like it
Posted by: Season Ticket holder for now | Jul 10, 2012 9:57:11 AM
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