"Charlotte Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins says he's not pursuing a sign-and-trade deal to resolve Emeka Okafor's restricted free-agency.

However, Higgins also sees a downside to Okafor signing a one-year qualifying offer.

"Our comfort level probably wouldn't be so good. You'd have him for a year," before Okafor could leave without compensation next summer, Higgins said.

Higgins was addressing a report in Tuesday's Observer that negotiations with Okafor reached an impasse. A source familiar with the negotiations said the Bobcats are offering less now than they did a summer ago and Okafor now prefers a sign-and-trade to another NBA franchise.

"We're still holding out hope that we can get a (long-term) deal done with Emeka," said Higgins.

"We talk to his representatives. We last saw Emeka around draft night (in late June). We've never heard from him that he doesn't want to be here."

Last summer, the Bobcats made Okafor a multi-year offer that would have averaged over $12million per season. Okafor declined that proposal in October, playing out the season to reach restricted free agency.

A source familiar with the situation said the Bobcats are now offering Okafor something closer to $10million a season. Higgins declined comment on the negotiations.

Under NBA rules, the Bobcats were required to offer Okafor a one-year contract (worth about $7million) to designate him a restricted free agent. That would allow the Bobcats to match another NBA team's offer to him this summer. With salary-cap room drying up around the NBA, the chances of Okafor receiving an offer sheet appear slim. So the only way Okafor could sign long-term elsewhere would be via sign-and-trade.

Higgins didn't sound receptive to that alternative."