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Update: Blazers match offer sheet for Nicolas Batum

2K views 37 replies 23 participants last post by  zagsfan20 
#1 ·
Agent: Nicolas Batum, Wolves agree

Restricted free agent Nicolas Batum has agreed to terms on an offer sheet with the Timberwolves and is hoping the Portland Trail Blazers either do not match the offer or execute a sign-and-trade to get him to Minnesota, Batum's agent told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

Batum and agent Bouna Ndiaye met with Blazers officials Thursday, and informed them the versatile swingman feels his best fit is in Minnesota. Ndiaye declined to give the terms of the agreement, but a person with knowledge of the deal said it was for four years and $45 million, with bonuses that could push it past $50 million. The person requested anonymity because the deal hasn't been completed.

The Blazers have been adamant they will match any offer for Batum and were not interested in trading the 23-year-old native Frenchman. Ndiaye said Batum has great respect for the Blazers and their fans but believes playing for Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman and alongside point guard Ricky Rubio and forward Kevin Love is the best situation for him.

"It was a very cordial meeting. There were no hard feelings," Ndiaye said. "So Nicolas basically talked about his four years with the Blazers, and he expressed that maybe it was time for him to look at a place where he could be more happy."
 
#3 ·
Re: Batum signs 4-yr/$45 mil offer sheet with Wolves

And Portland matches.
I really don't see how Portland can win anything with their current roster. Matching this deal would just lock them into that same roster even further. You're right that they probably will match, but I don't think they should.
 
#4 ·
Re: Batum signs 4-yr/$45 mil offer sheet with Wolves

If Indiana doesn't match Hibbert, and Portland nabs him, then Portland would only need a PG improvement to be dangerous. Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Hibbert has good makings.
 
#5 ·
Re: Batum signs 4-yr/$45 mil offer sheet with Wolves

That is a stupidly large contract. Oh well. Good luck to Portland with that one.
 
#8 ·
Re: Batum signs 4-yr/$45 mil offer sheet with Wolves

This was actually the guy I thought the Wolves should go after this summer, so it's good to see they did. The contract is a little bit much, but you have to overpay a bit to get a RFA's team to not match. The upgrade from Johnson/Webster to Budinger/Batum should be noticeable.
 
#9 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

The Minnesota Timberwolves are attempting to acquire free-agent forward Nicolas Batum in a three-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls, a league source told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.

Portland would receive shooting guard Kyle Korver from Chicago and two future first-round draft picks from Minnesota, according to the source. The Bulls would acquire a second-round pick from the Timberwolves, the source said.

The Timberwolves will sign Batum to an offer sheet if the deal can't be completed by Wednesday night, the source said.

But Minnesota is trying to avoid the risk of Portland matching the offer sheet by compensating the Blazers the future picks and Korver as a replacement for Batum.

Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said Wednesday the team would match any offers for Batum, who reportedly agreed with the Timberwolves on a four-year, $45 million offer with bonuses that could push the deal past $50 million.

Agent Bouna Ndiaye also told The Associated Press that Batum wanted to play for the Wolves and that they hoped the Blazers either would not match the offer or execute a sign-and-trade.

A four-year veteran, the 6-foot-8 Batum averaged 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds -- both career highs -- with Portland this past season.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8...ta-timberwolves-discussing-nicolas-batum-deal
 
#11 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

When I first saw the headline of it, I thought it had to include Derrick Williams, but I guess Wolves are still into carying 17 wings or Blazers don't want him.
 
#15 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

It's not a terrible deal. If Minny makes the playoffs with this roster and is able to retain Love because of the fact that he's happy to be playing in May, is it really that awful? Sometimes teams have to overpay.

But I also like Batum. So there's that.
 
#16 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

So the alternative would be...have Portland match and watch capspace play during the season? Batum is a good add for them. A guy who defends, runs the court and does not need the ball but has some range on his J. Plus he is young enough to grow into his contract.
 
#17 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

So the alternative would be...have Portland match and watch capspace play during the season? Batum is a good add for them. A guy who defends, runs the court and does not need the ball but has some range on his J. Plus he is young enough to grow into his contract.
Agreed with both sides. Its a lot to give up for Batum, but at the same time there's also not much out there for options and they need to improve or Love is going to Dwight'em.
 
#18 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

Getting Batum and keeping Derrick Williams would have to be considered a coup for this young team. I have no problem with this at all.
 
#19 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

You know, I think Batum is becoming a little overhyped, but the more I think about it, this is a fair deal. First rounders aren't guaranteed to become useful players, so if you trade two mid to late picks for a known starter who could be a say, Luol Deng, then its an even swap.

Minny has nice young players w/ Rubio, Budinger, Batum, Love, Williams, Wes Johnson, Barea. They need to start consolidating, package Johnson, Williams for a shooting guard or center.
 
#20 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

They need to start consolidating, package Johnson, Williams for a shooting guard or center.
No doubt.
 
#21 ·
Re: Update: Wolves, Blazers discussing S/T for Batum

The Wolves are using picks and it's not for an Arizona or (terrible) Syracuse player? Wow.

Good on em.
 
#22 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

The Minnesota Timberwolves' attempts to acquire restricted free agent Nicolas Batum from the Portland Trail Blazers apparently have devolved into a grudge match -- at least for the Blazers -- that involves far more than the talented young small forward.

The Timberwolves, league sources say, are prepared to sign Batum to a four-year, $46.4 million offer sheet Sunday after repeatedly trying to trade for him. They have offered as many as three future first-round draft picks and even have dangled small forward Derrick Williams, the No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft.


The Blazers have resisted every overture even though multiple sources say Portland management believes $46.4 million is vastly more than Batum is worth.

Batum's desire to leave Portland began last winter when the Blazers offered him an extension that averaged $5 million a year, a source said. That is less than half of what Minnesota is prepared to offer now.

The Timberwolves also tried to orchestrate a deal that would have sent small forward Kyle Korver to the Blazers, along with the future first-round picks, in a three-way deal involving the Chicago Bulls. That, too, was rejected by Portland.

Korver eventually was traded to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team deal involving the Timberwolves on Friday night.

This, of course, is not the first time the Blazers and Timberwolves have had trade talks -- and that's part of the problem. Even before the battle for Batum began, the teams were working to resolve a dispute, a league source said.

The Blazers traded swingman Martell Webster to the Timberwolves in a 2010 draft-night trade for Ryan Gomes and the rights to Minnesota's No. 16 pick, Luke Babbitt. The following fall, Webster had back surgery because of a bulging disk. The Blazers were aware of the injury but did not disclose it before the trade, a league source said. The two teams have since been quietly negotiating compensatory terms but have not been able to reach an agreement.

The Timberwolves released Webster on Friday as part of a cost-cutting measure to open salary-cap room for Batum's offer sheet.


That former Blazers guard Brandon Roy has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Timberwolves also has Portland owner Paul Allen thinking Minnesota is trying to make life difficult for him, a source said.

Roy retired before last season because of degenerative knees. The Blazers still owed him $49 million over three years at the time, but an insurance policy was expected to cover a significant chunk of that. If he returns to play, however, that policy no longer can be invoked and the Blazers are back on the hook for what they owe him, minus the $10 million Minnesota will pay him, sources say. The balance due from the Blazers could be as much as $17 million, one source said.

Timberwolves president David Kahn is from Portland and once covered the team as a sportswriter for The Oregonian, but a team source insists there is no personal element coloring the Timberwolves' interest in Batum or Roy or pursuing damages for Webster. The team even offered to relax its position on Webster in exchange for dealing them Batum.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8...ers-minnesota-timberwolves-odds-nicolas-batum
 
#25 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

That is ****ing hilarious. Paul Allen turns down two firsts and a second for ****ing Nicolas Batum because he's butthurt that Minny signed a guy who retired just to get away from his shit organization. You can't make this stuff up. :laugh:
 
#26 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

The Blazers still owed him $49 million over three years at the time, but an insurance policy was expected to cover a significant chunk of that.
Don't blame the Wolves for the length of the big contract to Roy, and an active player not being covered by injury retirement insurance.
 
#27 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

Somebody was going to give Brandon Roy a contract this year. If anything, they should be thankful the Wolves gave him a couple million more and lopped that much more off the amnesty amount.

This is typical of the Blazers management not wanting to let any of their players go and feuding with everyone including internally.
 
#28 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

it's funny that some people actually think that Portland has good management. These kind of things that come out and reports of their medical staff, and the fact that they gave Roy that contract knowing his medical details, random firing of employees, crazy Paul Allen, I really don't see them as a well managed team.

They have an above average draft history but look at all the picks they were able to buy with Paul Allen's money. They also ignored alot of things that other teams were worried about and now they are paying the price of their arrogance.
 
#29 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

it's funny that some people actually think that Portland has good management. These kind of things that come out and reports of their medical staff, and the fact that they gave Roy that contract knowing his medical details, random firing of employees, crazy Paul Allen, I really don't see them as a well managed team.

They have an above average draft history but look at all the picks they were able to buy with Paul Allen's money. They also ignored alot of things that other teams were worried about and now they are paying the price of their arrogance.
Have you seen their fans? They're the most irrational nutjobs in the whole country. They think everyone is out to get them. They have a one-sided, unacknowledged rivalry with LA. That their management is equally paranoid and confrontational is almost analogous to form following function.
 
#34 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

Jesus, what a cluster-****.

Hope Neil Oshley is glad he too the GM job there...hope the difference in money (if there was any) makes up for putting up with this nut case of an owner.

Owners should be seen, and not heard. Period.
 
#35 ·
Re: Update: Blazers holding grudge, resisting S/T for Batum

Jesus, what a cluster-****.

Hope Neil Oshley is glad he too the GM job there...hope the difference in money (if there was any) makes up for putting up with this nut case of an owner.

Owners should be seen, and not heard. Period.
Ron, I absolutely agree with you. That is one of the reasons I have long despised Mark Cuban.
 
#37 ·
I have no inside knowledge, of course, but maybe it's because that roster is doomed to mediocrity for the foreseeable future unless Damian Lillard is an all-star in the making.
 
#38 ·
Wow, never really knew that there was so much resentment towards S2 in this place.

Just so you know, we really never put any thought into you guys, but seems like you really care about us a lot :)
 
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