Let Him Go

Lost in all of the media coverage of the Jeremy Lin saga has been restricted free agent Nicolas Batum's negotiations with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.  While every NBA-related article over the weekend seemed to debate whether or not the Knicks should bring back Lin (and with the recent acquisition of Raymond Felton from Portland, it appears that they won't), but only occassionally have I heard anyone weighing in on what the Blazers should do about Batum.  Whereas Lin has always seemed intent on exploring the free agency market and finding the best deal out there (and there's certainly nothing wrong with that), Batum is perhaps the only NBA player legitimately excited about playing in Minneapolis.

To get you up to speed, Batum is a talented 23-year-old forward out of France who has spent the last four seasons in Portland, averaging a solid 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this past season.  Because he's a restricted free agent, the Trail Blazers can match any offer that another team gives him, and Portland seems intent on bringing Batum back at all costs.  However, Batum wants out of Portland and, for some reason, has identified Minnesota as his preferred next team.  According to ESPN, Batum "was unhappy with how he was being used in Portland and would much prefer to play under [Rick] Adelman and alongside [Kevin] Love and [Ricky] Rubio in Minnesota."

So, what should the Blazers do?  If they match the offer, they'll get Batum back for the (seemingly expensive) free agent market rate, but will have to deal with a disgruntled player who clearly has no interest in playing for the team.  If they grant his wish and let him go to the Timberwolves, they lose a very talented young player and receive no compensation in return.  The logical middle ground seems to orchestrate a sign-and-trade, where Portland would sign Batum and then trade him to Minnesota - this way, Batum gets to play for the Wolves and the Blazers get something for him.  According to ESPN, however, Portland seems unwilling to talk trade, even though "the Timberwolves 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."

I've watched the NBA for years, and during that time I've learned that there's arguably nothing more destructive than having a disgruntled player on your roster.  Given how unhappy Batum would be in Portland next season, and factoring in the rumor that Batum's $46 million deal is apparently "vastly more" than the Blazers think he's worth, I think Portland needs to drop the gloves and make the best out of this admittedly rough situation.  Portland knows a lot about unhappy, selfish players, and the team spent years moving away from the "Jail Blazers" reputation that it held years ago.  It's time for Portland to shift from combat mode into negotation mode and see what it can get for Batum.  There's no way that having Batum play for the Blazers next season makes any sense, and I hope Portland realizes that before it's too late.  After all, the clock is ticking.