Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer spoke to Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and GM Rich Cho today about a few of the team's offseason moves, including the signing of Al Jefferson. Let's dive in to Bonnell's piece and check out the highlights from the Bobcats brass….
- Kemba Walker, who shares an agent with Jefferson, played a significant role in helping to recruit the former Jazz center to Charlotte, reaching out to him prior to the July free agency period. According to Higgins, when the team president told Walker that Jefferson had agreed to sign with the Bobcats, the point guard said that he "almost shed a tear."
- Higgins suggested that Charlotte's decision to amnesty Tyrus Thomas opened up the door to land Jefferson: "Once we decided to amnesty Tyrus Thomas, ownership gave us the green light to find a difference-maker. [Jefferson] is a difference-maker."
- Discussing Cody Zeller, Cho raved about the big man's basketball IQ, and said the NBA player who reminds him most of Zeller is LaMarcus Aldridge.
- Signing Jefferson and drafting Zeller doesn't mean the Bobcats are losing faith in the development of Bismack Biyombo, according to Higgins. "Biz fits in well with us. He’ll get opportunities to grow," Higgins said. "Biz still has a tremendous upside."
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