The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed restricted free-agent forward Nicolas Batum to an offer sheet. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Portland Trail Blazers will have three days to match Minnesota’s offer. The deadline for Portland to match the offer sheet is Wednesday, July 18 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Reports have said the deal could be worth around $46 million over four years, but that is not confirmed.
Batum, a 6-8 forward from France, was originally selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Portland acquired his rights in a draft-night trade in exchange for the draft rights to Darrell Arthur and Joey Dorsey. In his four seasons with the Blazers, Batum has averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 255 games (202 starts). He averaged a career-high 13.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game in 2011-12, while also establishing career bests with 90 steals and 60 blocked shots. The 23-year-old has career shooting averages of 46.0 percent from the field, 37.2 percent from three-point range and 83.6 percent from the free throw line. Batum scored a career-high 33 points on Feb. 4 vs. Denver, and set a Portland single-game record with nine three-pointers. He also tallied 33 points on Feb. 14 vs. Washington. Batum played professionally in France for four years before coming to the NBA.
