Felton hopes to stay in Charlotte

MULLINS — Throughout his college and NBA career, Raymond Felton has had the luxury of playing close to home.
Felton played college basketball at North Carolina and has spent the last four seasons in the NBA with the Charlotte Bobcats. Both places are within a few hours of Felton’s hometown of Latta.
But that could change if Felton, a restricted free agent, decides to test the waters when the NBA free agency period begins Wednesday.
“Of course I want to stay in Charlotte. It’s close to home, close to UNC,” Felton said Thursday as his four-day basketball camp wrapped at Mullins High School. “I want to be there, but we got to reach an agreement with some things.
“It’s just one of the things where it is a business for them and it is a business for me.”
The Bobcats extended Felton a one-year qualifying offer of $5.5 million last week if the two parties can’t reach a long-term deal.
By doing that, Charlotte also can match any offer he might receive in free agency.
Felton said several teams have expressed interest, and he is definitely willing to see what else is out there.
“I want to go wherever they want me,” Felton said.
Bobcats president Michael Jordan told reporters Thursday that making sure Felton stays in Charlotte is a priority this offseason.
“I definitely want to keep him,” Jordan said. “I anticipate us keeping Raymond, without a doubt.”
Felton’s future in Charlotte was in doubt a few times last season.
For starters, the Bobcats drafted another point guard, D.J. Augustin, in last year’s draft. Then there were questions if he could adjust to new coach Larry Brown’s offensive system, which usually has the team’s point guard scoring less and distributing the ball more.
Felton was the subject of several trade rumors last season, which had him going anywhere from Oklahoma City to Dallas to Golden State or Indiana.
Those deals never happened and Felton, who celebrated his 25th birthday Friday, had a solid season for Charlotte, which finished four games behind Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Felton averaged 14.2 points and 6.7 assists per game and played in all 82 contests for the first time in his career.
“It was one of those things where I wasn’t worried about,” Felton said of the trade rumors. “It is a business, so I’m going to be professional and work hard at it.
“I’m the type of guy that’s going to work hard no matter what and stay on top and keep getting better each and every year.”
And Brown, who also is a former Tar Heel, has been pleased with Felton’s development and knows he still has room to improve.
“Is he a perfect point guard right now? No, but I think his progress has been dramatic,” Brown told the Charlotte Observer in March. “He’s got to continue to recognize when guys haven’t been involved, when they need to get a shot. He’s got to be a more consistent jump shooter to make people guard him honest.
“But he loves to play. And he wants to learn.”
Felton said it took a while to get used to Brown, who is notoriously hard on his point guards. But the two’s relationship grew as the season went along and he hopes it will continue if he remains with the club.
“I love him, he’s a great coach,” Felton said of Brown. “He is tough, but you need that sometimes. He challenges you and makes you better.”