It's now official.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Andres Nocioni has agreed to a five-year contract worth approximately $38 million, keeping the popular forward with the team that vowed to re-sign him.The contract can't be signed until the free-agent moratorium ends July 11. But general manager John Paxson confirmed a deal is in place.Click here to find out more! Sources told the Tribune that the contract includes a team option for a sixth season.Earlier Friday, Paxson confirmed that the team was optimistic about their chances."We've made progress," Paxson said at the Berto Center. "We're pretty confident. I'm hopeful that in the next day or so we can hammer this thing out with him."The Tribune and Memphis Commercial Appeal reported in their Friday editions that Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace wasn't willing to increase a verbal offer that is in the same neighborhood as the Bulls' offer.The Tribune first reported Paxson has offered a five-year deal worth approximately $38 million. It's rare for teams to make a proactive offer for a restricted free agent instead of letting the market dictate his price."I felt the area we started talking about was a legitimate, fair offer," Paxson said. "So I never have problems throwing that out there. We're at the stage where we know our young players have value. I just felt it was appropriate to try to work something out. We want him here. He fits in with what we're trying to do."Indeed, Nocioni, 27, has become a Bulls fan favorite with his manic intensity and floor-burn style."He's one of those guys who have helped change a lot of things around here in terms of how we go about business," Paxson said.The Grizzlies flew to Nocioni's native Argentina to personally woo him. That they didn't follow with a bold offer raised eyebrows.But Nocioni, who is resting the plantar fasciitis in his right foot, always stated his No. 1 priority was to return to the Bulls.He got his wish.</div>
