Trail Blazers plan to keep Nicolas Batum

The Trail Blazers delivered a direct and emphatic message to free agent Nicolas Batum during a downtown meeting Thursday afternoon: Batum will remain with the Blazers.

A trio of Blazers executives, led by general manager Neil Olshey, met with Batum and agent Bouna Ndiaye and told the 23-year-old forward that they intend to keep him in a Blazers uniform no matter what other teams offer him or propose to the team in trades.

“We told Nic that it is in his best interests to sign with us,” Olshey said.

– Reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian