Felton signs deal with Bobcats

LOS ANGELES -- Free agent guard Raymond Felton has accepted the one-year qualifying offer from the Charlotte Bobcats, Felton's agent, Kevin Bradbury, told

Chris Mannix|

LOS ANGELES -- Free agent guard Raymond Felton has accepted the one-year qualifying offer from the Charlotte Bobcats, Felton's agent, Kevin Bradbury, told SI.com. By accepting the $5.5 million qualifying offer Felton will become an unrestricted free agent next season.

Negotiations between Felton, who started 81 games and averaged 14.2 points and 6.7 assists last season, and the Bobcats have been at a standstill for more than a month. Though both sides preferred a multiyear contract, they were millions of dollars apart in annual salary and unable to come to an agreement. It is believed that part of the Bobcats reluctance to commit to a lucrative contract with Felton is the presence of D.J. Augustin, a 2008 first-round pick who averaged a season-best 13.3 points in April last season.

Instead Felton, 25, will compete with Augustin for minutes this season and try to cash in as an unrestricted free agent in 2010, when several teams are expected to have significant salary cap space.

Published Sep 23, 2009 | Modified Sep 23, 2009

CHRIS MANNIX

Chris Mannix is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated covering the NBA and boxing beats. He joined the SI staff in 2003 following his graduation from Boston College. Mannix is the host of SI’s “Open Floor” podcast and serves as a ringside analyst and reporter for DAZN Boxing. He is also a frequent contributor to NBC Sports Boston as an NBA analyst. A nominee for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022, Mannix has won writing awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Pro Basketball Writers Association, and is a longtime member of both organizations.

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