Nicolas Batum not sticking around to help out Portland Trail Blazers, will accept first offer – NBA Update
The Portland Trail Blazers have been given a warning by Nicolas Batum that the player will move if he is offered a lucrative deal elsewhere. Batum is a restricted free agent this summer and will be looking to move on if the Trail Blazer don’t show ample
interest in keeping him.
Batum’s agent made clear that the forward would not hesitate to sign for another team if the offer is good enough.
“The first good offer we get, we're going with that,” Bouna Ndiaye of Comsport Management told CSNNW.com. “We're not waiting for anything.”
The agent’s comments must carry weight and even hint at a rift between the player and the franchise. The Trail Blazers started the season with a lot of promise, but as it progressed their plans fell apart.
Portland then decided to set the reset button, trading away major pieces of the team and failing to make the playoffs.
In the summer they have an opportunity to start the rebuilding process, with plenty of cap space to go after free agents. That is where the issue with Batum has arisen.
Ideally, the Trail Blazers will like to save Nicolas for last as they shop for free agents. The rules stipulate that Portland can use up their cap space to sign free agents and then go over it for Batum, because he is already at the club.
That though is unfavourable for Batum, who does not want the uncertainty of waiting for an offer. He will also miss out on potentially bigger deals if he decides to wait for Portland.
In the past, Batum hinted that he might be interested in playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
"San Antonio is an option for me. There are 30 teams in the NBA so I'll all watch and see what can be the best. But San Antonio is clear that it could be something pretty. I do not want to leave Portland, but I'll watch what is best for me.”
He did, however, keep open the door for a return to the club.
“If I can not find better elsewhere, I'll stay in Portland but if I find better elsewhere, I would go.”
Tags: