To accompany your
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Tuesday's subject is free-agent-to-be
:
,
The Oregonian
: Is Nicolas Batum Batman? Or is he Robin? I say he's Spider Man, just as Peter Parker started to hone his superpowers. His multi-faceted skill-set and potential are unique in the NBA. And although he hasn't yet learned to harness the consistency and all-the-time aggressiveness that are preventing him from becoming an elite player, he's on the cusp of breaking out. The only question is: How much will the Blazers have to pay to keep him in Portland? That figure remains a mystery, but rest assured, the Blazers will pay. Unless Batum fetches a surprising maximum contract offer, the Blazers will match whatever offer sheet comes his way. The front office took heat for failing to sign Batum to an extension during the season -- particularly after his agent, Bouna Ndiaye, offered harsh words after talks fell apart. But the front office was smart to wait because now they can let the market dictate what Batum should be paid rather than bid against themselves. The Blazers will resign Batum this offseason and he will join LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Elliot Williams and whatever marquee free agent the team signs this season as building blocks of the future.
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- Jamal Crawford
- Luke Babbitt
- Craig Smith
- Jonny Flynn
- Joel Przybilla
- J.J. Hickson
- Hasheem Thabeet
- Nolan Smith
- Kurt Thomas
- Wesley Matthews
- Elliot Williams
,
: Even before the roster implosion, it was difficult to argue that anybody but LaMarcus Aldridge had a greater impact for the Blazers than Nicolas Batum.
Unfortunately for the organization, the Frenchman didn't truly elevate his game until after he and the team failed to agree to terms on a contract extension.
But watching Batum morph into a near-top-tier 3-point-shooting threat while developing the audacity to finish strong in the lane tells you that Portland has to spend the money to retain this restricted free agent.
Is he the Robin to Aldridge's Batman? Not quite ... unless we're pairing, like, Christian Bale with Chris O'Donnell. But given Nic's natural talent, and the fact that he has improved every season, he could attain legitimate sidekick status shortly.
,
and
: He would likely be the third best player on a contender but his game pairs nicely with Aldridge's and he seems to genuinely like Portland, so he should have been treated as a top priority during extension negotiations this season. That didn't happen. After the deadline, he's emerged as clearly the second best asset on the roster and needs to be retained at pretty much any cost if Portland wants to have a chance of competing for the 2013 playoffs. The market value for players with similar production -- Arron Afflalo, Thaddeus Young, Marcus Thornton -- was set in December at roughly $8-8.5 million per year for four or five years. That's a fair number. If it gets inflated a little bit with an offer in restricted free agency so be it. What's the reasonable alternative? Like he said during exit interviews, there's a 99 percent chance Portland matches any offer and he's back.
,
: Last season saw Batum make important strides forward in his development, pushing his usage rate above league average and maintaining a three-point percentage in the high 30s over a full season. He's going to be a very good player in this league for a long time. Given that the Blazers are trying to build up what is at the moment a relatively meager asset base, and given that only LaMarcus Aldridge is more valuable on the current roster, Portland almost has to re-sign Batum no matter what kind of offers get thrown his way as a restricted free agent. A crazy max offer would be difficult to match, and the Blazers won't get as good a deal as they could have by extending Batum before he hit the market, but Batum is just too important to let go. Danilo Gallinari's extension with the Denver Nuggets (four years, $42 million) will probably be the example Batum's representation will use to peg his value.
,
The Oregonian
:
What do you think?
.
- You be the Blazers GM, 2011-12
- Vote: 'Stay' or 'Go'
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