LeBron James' current team Cleveland Cavaliers and former team Miami Heat are reportedly in a tug of war for the service of veteran big man and former Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor, a source close to situation reported on Tuesday.
According to ESPN NBA insider Marc Stein, the Cavs and Heat are both trying to acquire Okafor, who sat out the entire 2013-14 NBA season to recover from the surgery that fixed a herniated disc on his neck.
"Roughly half of the league, I'm told, has registered interest this summer in Okafor, despite the fact that the 31-year-old free agent missed all of the 2013-14 season while recovering from a serious neck ailment," Stein stated in his report.
"The list of pursuers for the defensive-minded center, according to NBA front office sources, includes LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers as well as LeBron's old friends in Miami."
Okafor, former no.2 overall pick and 2005 Rookie of the Year winner, averaged 9.7 points and 8.8 rebounds two seasons ago with the Washington Wizards and produced 12.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in his career.
Aside from his solid scoring and rebounding stats, he 31-year-old Okafor has been known as a great interior defender and rim protector. Throughout his career, he averaged 1.7 block per game and altered so many shots with his long arms.
The Cavaliers have been looking for another big man to give them assurance next season, with the injury-prone Anderson Verajao starting at the center position. Brendan Haywood is also a solid backup, but he has been inconsistent for the past couple of seasons. Moreover, the Cavs direly need a player capable of manning the shaded lane.
On the other hand, the Heat wanted Okafor to become a major contributor next season as they look to move Chris Bosh back to his natural position at power forward. Bosh decided to play the past three seasons as a center, as LeBron James wrecked havoc as an under-height but agile power forward.
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