Blazers sans Batum

[Fez Hammersticks]

According to Mike Rice the Raptors are going to make a strong push for Batum and have the cap room to make it very tough to match.

With the Blazers FO reactive rather than proactive, how would you replace Nicolas Batum?

 

[barfo]

According to Mike Rice the Raptors are going to make a strong push for Batum and have the cap room to make it very tough to match.

With the Blazers FO reactive rather than proactive, how would you replace Nicolas Batum?

Why would it be tough to match? We have cap room too.

barfo

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

It's pretty clear they didn't want to give him what he wants earlier this year and he's going to get that number from Toronto.

 

[PapaG]

It's pretty clear they didn't want to give him what he wants earlier this year and he's going to get that number from Toronto.

Let him go, and draft Quincy Miller or Terrance Jones. Although, when Deron Williams re-signs with Brooklyn, Portland would be able to match anything Toronto throws out there.

Deron Williams is a pipe dream, IMO, and that opens up bringing back Hickson, Batum, and signing a Goran Dragic, plus hopefully two lottery picks.

 

[julius]

It's pretty clear they didn't want to give him what he wants earlier this year and he's going to get that number from Toronto.

It's also pretty clear that he's a restricted Free Agent and pretty much would only leave if he refused to play here.

Also it's pretty clear that one of the detractors of his game (in the sense he totally misused him) was fired.

In addition, it's pretty clear that Portland isn't getting Deron Williams, so a PG like Dragic + Batum is better than Dragic + no one.

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

No......we didn't give him what he wanted because we didn't want to sign him in February and take up salary cap space for July. Because we didn't extend his deal, we have cap space AND we can sign him (matching almost all offers) above that number.

If Toronto wants to pay Batum upwards of $10M per year or more - they can have him!!

But we'll match any offer under $10M IMO.

 

[julius]

No......we didn't give him what he wanted because we didn't want to sign him in February and take up salary cap space for July. Because we didn't extend his deal, we have cap space AND we can sign him (matching almost all offers) above that number.

If Toronto wants to pay Batum upwards of $10M per year or more - they can have him!!

But we'll match any offer under $10M IMO.

this is no time for rationale thinking.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I think I'd match a $10 million for Batum. He's a good player who will get better. And I'd much rather have him than an unknown rookie.

 

[RoyToy]

No......we didn't give him what he wanted because we didn't want to sign him in February and take up salary cap space for July. Because we didn't extend his deal, we have cap space AND we can sign him (matching almost all offers) above that number.

If Toronto wants to pay Batum upwards of $10M per year or more - they can have him!!

But we'll match any offer under $10M IMO.

This, especially the cap space part.

Although I believe the Blazers will pay whatever it takes (prob $10M on the dot)

 

[julius]

I would hope Toronto wouldn't be that crazy to pay him 10 million, for as Harry says, good luck with that.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Batum will only be 23 when next season begins. I often forget this.

 

[RoyToy]

I would hope Toronto wouldn't be that crazy to pay him 10 million, for as Harry says, good luck with that.

Remember Hedo Turkeyglue?

 

[THE HCP]

^So do most people!

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

^So do most people!

Most people remember Turkey Glue??

 

[RoyToy]

Batum will only be 23 when next season begins. I often forget this.

Convenient excuse.

 

[julius]

Remember Hedo Turkeyglue?

Yeah, and they learned their lesson.

But this is a different NBA than it was when he was signed. Luxury taxes are a much harder pill to swallow.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Convenient excuse.

Convenient douche.

I was going on a rant to rip his performance and then saw he was 23 and it changed something for me. I was surprised he was that young - its not an excuse i was just surprised. No need to respond as if you knew what I was getting at. There was no motive behind my post, as your response would seem to promote. Coming from you though I'm not surprised.

 

[RedHotRollin]

Correct me if I'm wrong but they can sign him for whatever amount cap room available or not. They own his rights. But if they renounce those rights, I think Harrison Barnes becomes a strong consideration

 

[RR7]

I think I read batum holds a grudge against Toronto because they leaked his heart issue pre draft.

 

[Rhal]

Batum will only be 23 when next season begins. I often forget this.

That is the big reason I don't mind matching a 4 year 40-44m offer for Batum. He isn't going to be a contract that kills us because we will be able to trade him at some point and time. If he was older it would be harder to trade him but some team (like SA) would take him off our hands in a trade after we resign him.

 

[BlazerBeliever]

Correct me if I'm wrong but they can sign him for whatever amount cap room available or not. They own his rights. But if they renounce those rights, I think Harrison Barnes becomes a strong consideration

If the Blazers sign Batum before making other moves they lose the cap space. They can go over the cap wit Batum. They can't go over the cap to sign someone else.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I like Nic and I hope he remains a Blazer for many years to come ...

That said, the Blazers would be fools to pay him several million dollars over his "real" value (measured in his ability to generate wins, not what the market will bear). There are going to be some really painful penalties for overpaying guys in the new CBA and frankly I think the Blazers might be wise to keep those purse strings tight except for the truly game-bending top 15 players in the league -- such as Deron Williams, etc.

If Toronto comes after him for 11 million a year then let him go and draft Harrison Barnes. Barnes won't be a star and he's pretty one-dimensional, but he'll be somewhat productive as a scorer and he'll be a helluva lot cheaper and easier to move in a trade should the need ever arise.

The summer is going to require great patience and will-power from whomever is pulling the levers behind the curtain at One Center Court. Getting emotional and making rash decisions could affect the team for the next 4 or 5 years and ruin any chance this team might have of returning to a level of competitiveness that a lot of us would like to see. If they fuck it up, they could wind up with a roster full of pretty average players with not much of a ceiling higher than what you see out of the Milwaukee Bucks most nights. Spending 11 million on Nic would be a step towards a potentially pretty mediocre future because of how much cap room he would represent and all of the other fairly gaping holes that need to be filled.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Looking around the league there aren't many available swings I'd want rather rather than Batum.

Barnes? He has potential but can you really plug him into a role with major minutes? It's going to be a few years with this rout.

Babbitt? He's a specialist who should get spot minutes.

The leverage is with Batum and his agent. It's going to be a bidding war and his agent has been pissed off at the Blazers FO since they refused to come close to what they were asking for. I get that they wanted flexibility in this FA market but with a below average roster outside LMA/Nic, a disorganized FO, how is this a destination? As a small market you build through the draft and keep those player that pan out (which is VERY rare with Portland).

 

[craigehlo]

Batum isn't a star and doesn't deserve more than the contract Arron Afflalo got from Denver ($7.5 mil). If the Raptors want to offer more so they can build a team around overpaid role players, then I'd let him walk. I would target a SF via trade or draft since free agent options stink for the SF spot this summer.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Yeah, I'm with craigehlo on this. I think the general rule of thumb is that you overpay for stars; you don't overpay role players. Basically, if you think Batum can be a star--or at least a legit second option on a contender--then you match whatever. If not--then you do like Nik says, pay him only his role-based value and no more.

I don't think he's worth #1 or #2 money. Anything more than $8M/yr is too much, IMO.

 

[julius]

Yeah, I'm with craigehlo on this. I think the general rule of thumb is that you overpay for stars; you don't overpay role players. Basically, if you think Batum can be a star--or at least a legit second option on a contender--then you match whatever. If not--then you do like Nik says, pay him only his role-based value and no more.

I don't think he's worth #1 or #2 money. Anything more than $8M/yr is too much, IMO.

sadly, in todays NBA, #1 or #2 money is more than 10 million a year.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

sadly, in todays NBA, #1 or #2 money is more than 10 million a year.

Exactly--and he's not a #1 or #2, so he's not worth $10M

 

[julius]

Exactly--and he's not a #1 or #2, so he's not worth $10M

I don't care if he gets paid 10 million, it's not like his bump in salary is going to keep the blazers from signing deron williams.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Another possibility is that we sign and trade Batum. What if we are not able to "reload", not able to sign Williams or Dragic, then we might have to "rebuild"; Toronto has the the #8 pick in the draft, that plus Kleiza or Amir Johnson. So we would have three lottery picks. Of course if we do that we'd have to consider trading Aldridge also I guess.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I don't care if he gets paid 10 million, it's not like his bump in salary is going to keep the blazers from signing deron williams.

Your right--Deron Williams not wanting to come to Portland is what's going to keep the Blazers from signing Deron Williams.

Either way, it still doesn't seem like intelligent team construction to pay $10M for a role player. It might not impact FA signings this summer (although it might), but it could impact future trades, future offseason dealings, etc. I just don't see him as worth the cost.

Another possibility is that we sign and trade Batum. What if we are not able to "reload", not able to sign Williams or Dragic, then we might have to "rebuild"; Toronto has the the #8 pick in the draft, that plus Kleiza or Amir Johnson. So we would have three lottery picks. Of course if we do that we'd have to consider trading Aldridge also I guess.

I think that would be incredible, but I doubt TOR would give up their #8 for Batum. But even getting Kleiza in a Batum S&T deal would be pretty decent.