Batum to Hornets

[protox]

Guess they're blowing it up. LMA gone?

https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/613844655210430465

[Fallen Angel]

Post the full trade retard

Nicholas Batum for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh

[KyrieTheFuture]

Oh man I love it for NO

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Great source OP, i especially liked the 2nd paragraph. The 3rd is very interesting too with how the teams might do afterwards. The last paragraph is the most crucial OP is def a fakkit

[Droid101]

Links? Jesus.

[Levity]

haha holy shit. no one saw that coming.

isnt zeller on the block too? who are they hoping to play the 4 for them long term?

[Droid101]

Oh man I love it for NO
:roll:

[Sportal]

Should be interesting to see what Vonleh does in his second season. Henderson can ball though.

[Fallen Angel]

https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/613844655210430465

[Myth]

For Henderson and Vonleh? We better be getting a 1st rounder as well.

[Levity]

For Henderson and Vonleh? We better be getting a 1st rounder as well.

throwing in a 1st rounder for the often underachieving batum seems asinine, considering that vonleh was a top 10 pick last year who was fcked by a hernia injury and never really got rolling.

[coin24]

Wow Portland blowing it up.. Guess that core didn't have a high ceiling anyway..

Charlotte heading in a good direction though:applause:


Also, fu*k I hate reading a Twitter link. Can't stand all the idiotic @s and reply bullshit:facepalm

[Fallen Angel]

For Henderson and Vonleh? We better be getting a 1st rounder as well.
Batum is expiring and you're getting a second year lottery PF. Only a retard would think Portland would also get an additional 1st round pick for an aging and expiring role player.

[Levity]

so one more playoff spot in the west is now up for grabs! :rockon:

[Rocketswin2013]

I should be loving this.

[Genaro]

So I guess LMA is leaving for sure now. Matthews too probably

[Fallen Angel]

LMA knew about this move

http://i.gyazo.com/79ee6251d202d9ffdac31732bb2151b0.png

[Myth]

Well, I guess that settles it, Portland is drafting a SF and thinks they will land Justin Anderson or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

If Aldridge stays, they can re-sign Matthews (or Afflalo) and still be fine (My first choice obviously):
Lillard/Blake
Henderson/Matthews/Crabbe
Matthews/(Anderson/Hollis-Jefferson)
Aldridge/Leonard/Vonleh
Lopez/Kaman/(Freeland)/Vonleh

If he is gone, then they can let Matthews and Afflalo go and start the rebuild:
Lillard/Blake
Henderson/Crabbe
(Anderson/Hollis-Jefferson)
Leonard/Vonleh
Lopez/Kaman/(Freeland)/Vonleh
Plus have tons of cash.

[Myth]

LMA knew about this move

http://i.gyazo.com/79ee6251d202d9ffdac31732bb2151b0.png

As I posted just above, this could still work in a way that makes sense with or without Aldridge. Batum is super talented, but ultimately overpaid considering his lack of heart. I think this move is to make room for the incoming rookie, while also having a safety net for losing one of or both of Matthews/Afflalo. Vonleh is just a rebuilding piece in case Aldridge leaves, but I think Henderson was the bigger target in our current situation.

[PJR]

Charlotte is a disaster under MJ. And will continue to be one.

[bballnoob1192]

so one more playoff spot in the west is now up for grabs! :rockon:
not really OKC was an anomaly last season. that's their spot, and if the pelicans can retain their success there won't really be an open spot.
OKC
GSW
SAS
Clips
Hou
Mem
Pelicans
Mavs

and the rest are maybes unless something drastic happens to one of those teams. I can see dirk getting injured and the mavs missing the playoffs

[coin24]

so one more playoff spot in the west is now up for grabs! :rockon:

http://i.imgur.com/STXEw.gif

[hawksdogsbraves]

Charlotte really making sure they stick on that treadmill lol

I assume their GM knows he's fired if he can't make the playoffs, so he's selling off their young talent for average starters with a year on their deals to try and make the 8 seed :oldlol:

Also looks like Portland is hitting that reset button.

Vonleh is talented though, not a bad piece to get back if you're planning on rebuilding.

[Meticode]

https://insidethelifeofmoi.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/gif-4.gif

[midatlantic09]

Not sure why Charlotte would give up Henderson and Vonleh for Batum. Batum is a pretty mediocre player who won't improve much of anything.

[rufuspaul]

Charlotte is a disaster under MJ. And will continue to be one.


Hornets are also getting Jeremy Lamb in a separate deal for Matt Barnes contract.

Batum + Lamb > Hendo + Vonleh


Hate to give up Vonleh because he has unproven potential but there is a log jam at the 4 atm.

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Hornets are also getting Jeremy Lamb in a separate deal for Matt Barnes contract.

Batum + Lamb > Hendo + Vonleh


Hate to give up Vonleh because he has unproven potential but there is a log jam at the 4 atm.
Vonleh will be better than LMA ever was in 4-5yrs

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Not sold on Vonleh yet (should be noted I thought he would be the bust of his draft class when the hype grew, and he didn't do shit last year to change my mind) and Hendo is not much more than a bad starter on a good team/decent bench player.

Interesting they would give up on Vonleh so soon tho. He didn't really get much a chance last season and the dude's like 19.

[PJR]

Hornets are also getting Jeremy Lamb in a separate deal for Matt Barnes contract.

Batum + Lamb > Hendo + Vonleh


Hate to give up Vonleh because he has unproven potential but there is a log jam at the 4 atm.

Let's see how much you like this deal when Batum bolts in unrestricted free agency in 2016. No way in hell is he signing his life away in Charlotte lmao.

Horrible deal for the Hornets.

[BlakFrankWhite]

Batum is so underrated.

Would have loved him at OKC...tough as nails, good defender, can play two postions...also a good playmaker

[fatboy11]

Risky move for Charlotte, though I'm not too high on Vonleh. Batum and MKG together is intriguing.

Oddly, I've liked both of the Hornets moves so far this offseason. Not sure what the Lamb/Barnes deal actually looks like, but that's another good one in light of picking up Batum. I wondered why it was being said that Charlotte wouldn't hold onto Barnes. Lamb is worth a flier and should actually get a chance to play finally.

[hawksdogsbraves]

I don't see how anybody could 'like' trading one of the only promising young pieces on a bad team and selling out to try to get the 8 seed.

I've been on that treadmill before, it's not a good place to be.

[fatboy11]

I don't see how anybody could 'like' trading one of the only promising young pieces on a bad team and selling out to try to get the 8 seed.

I've been on that treadmill before, it's not a good place to be.

MKG and Zeller are both still young and with a fair amount of potential. They also still have Kemba. Solid veterans in Jefferson, Hawes, Batum, and Marv Williams. Also still have the 9th pick tomorrow. I agree that this looks like a 6-8 seed, but maybe that's just the next logical step after the year they had. Again, I was never all that impressed with Vonleh and he doesn't seem to have any fire. I think that was just a bad pick, but I guess we'll see.


Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 23 seconds ago

Told Charlotte had concerns about Noah Vonleh's acclimation to NBA. Had difficulties picking up on plays. Questions about his feel for game.

Seems Charlotte organization was not impressed after getting their hands on Vonleh.

[chips93]

vonleh only played 25 games, and even before the draft, we knew that he would take time to develop

batum is surely gone after this year, unless charlotte want to overpay him.

i guess portland doesnt think batum is worthwhile, so thats why they dumped him, i dont know why charlotte did this trade. i guess they just want to get mediocre and stay there :confusedshrug:

[fatboy11]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 2 minutes ago

Had heard some reports that Jeremy Lamb was on the trading block (along with Perry Jones). Lack of intensity and work ethic didn't fit in.

Seems like Lamb has some of the same issues as Vonleh.

[RoseCity07]

I was kinda meh about the trade but reading more about it I love it. That Vonleh kid looks promising and he's young. Similar build to Batum but this kid attacks the paint and crashes the boards. One thing I hated about Batum is he always looked tired. This guy played for the French national team.

Good trade for Portland. I hear this also give Blazers financial flexibility.

I give Olshey an A for getting this done.

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Charlotte is a disaster under MJ. And will continue to be one.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/teamsites/images/legacy/hornets/Cho_293x267.jpg

Asians just arent smart when it comes to basketball. Cho, Lin, Yao Jianaling etc

[SwishSquared]

I don't exactly love this trade for Charlotte because either they wasted a lotto pick on Vonleh or they overpay for Batum next summer. This team has a ceiling of a 6 seed imo and can maybe win a round in the playoffs, but I doubt it.

I like the effort to land a wing but this seems like a kinda high price. Maybe Vonleh struggles BBIQ-wise, and I won't act like I know if he does/doesn't.

Charlotte seems like it needs to really bottom out after next year though. I doubt Big Al, Marvin Williams, Batum, etc. stay beyond next year barring overpaying. I think Hornets should have built more carefully.

If Portland loses LMA, this is a pretty good return for Portland. Batum would have left next summer either way. If LMA stays, not like they can't use these new pieces in a future trade or anything. I'm higher on Batum than Henderson though, disparity in contracts aside.

[FreezingTsmoove]

Such a ****ing shit move by the Hornets. Not only is Henderson A MUCH BETTER player than Batum but you throw in your lottery pick from last yr? Why tf would you draft the kid in the first place if he looked like a project?

[hawksdogsbraves]

Such a ****ing shit move by the Hornets. Not only is Henderson A MUCH BETTER player than Batum but you throw in your lottery pick from last yr? Why tf would you draft the kid in the first place if he looked like a project?

The knew he was a project coming in.

It looks like a case of the GM knows his job is on the line if the can't make the playoffs, so he's going all in on that 8 seed.

[SwishSquared]

The knew he was a project coming in.

It looks like a case of the GM knows his job is on the line if the can't make the playoffs, so he's going all in on that 8 seed.I remember them selecting him partly b/c they didn't expect for him to drop that much. If they didn't do their homework on him knowing he's going to take time, then they blew that draft if they couldn't wait for him to develop. Actually they blew that pick regardless lol. I like Batum, but I don't see any reason he'd stay there beyond an overpay.

I agree that the GM is def chasing a bottom seed to save his job. It's pretty bad though. They went risky last year landing Vonleh & PJ Hairston. How safe will they play this draft? If they take Kaminsky @ 9... :facepalm

[Myth]

Batum is so underrated.

Would have loved him at OKC...tough as nails, good defender, can play two postions...also a good playmaker

He has a ridiculously diverse skillset, but he lacks the heart to make him a scary player. That combo means he gets overpaid because people hope his heart starts up, but year after year he has been disappointing. Heck, Chandler Parsons, who is much more limited in skill, outplayed him in the playoffs a couple years ago. I remember 1 year since his newest contract where I was OK with him.

My biggest disappointment is that I think we could have got more if he were traded years ago.

[rufuspaul]

Let's see how much you like this deal when Batum bolts in unrestricted free agency in 2016. No way in hell is he signing his life away in Charlotte lmao.

Horrible deal for the Hornets.

I like it. Clears up cap room.

[NuggetsFan]

Vonleh will be the deciding factor. He's got potential but if Charlotte see's him busting and used his value from the draft to get Batum than it'll be fine. If Charlotte was just looking to add a few extra wins and Vonleh reaches his potential than I don't really like it and it'll look pretty stupid.

[SwishSquared]

I like it. Clears up cap room.Henderson, Williams, and Big Al expire after the 2015-2016 season. Charlotte was going to wipe out like $27M off the books regardless. Heck, before the Lance trade, there were going to have even less on the cap sheet unless Hawes gets moved once more.

Edit: Basically, Charlotte would have had mega bucks to spend next summer without any of these trades this summer. Their activity suggests their GM is desperate.

[NuggetsFan]

Edit: Basically, Charlotte would have had mega bucks to spend next summer without any of these trades this summer. Their activity suggests their GM is desperate.

Henderson does nothing but score and that's probably pretty inflated playing on those Charlotte teams. I'm guessing the GM/FO really soured on Vonleh and don't see him having much success in the NBA so flipped him for Batum. Batum's still only 26. Great piece to have if they can find a way to re-sign him.

Where they'll look potentially stupid is if they ended up giving up on Vonleh way to fast. Be pretty smart tho if he winds up fizzling out.

[rufuspaul]

Henderson does nothing but score and that's probably pretty inflated playing on those Charlotte teams. I'm guessing the GM/FO really soured on Vonleh and don't see him having much success in the NBA so flipped him for Batum. Batum's still only 26. Great piece to have if they can find a way to re-sign him.

Where they'll look potentially stupid is if they ended up giving up on Vonleh way to fast. Be pretty smart tho if he winds up fizzling out.


There's a risk vs reward scenario with any move. Who knows how it will play out? I'm curious to see the MKG Batum pairing, 2 athletic defensive minded wings.

[SwishSquared]

Henderson does nothing but score and that's probably pretty inflated playing on those Charlotte teams. I'm guessing the GM/FO really soured on Vonleh and don't see him having much success in the NBA so flipped him for Batum. Batum's still only 26. Great piece to have if they can find a way to re-sign him.

Where they'll look potentially stupid is if they ended up giving up on Vonleh way to fast. Be pretty smart tho if he winds up fizzling out.I think Henderson is a decent bench wing but I'm not sure if it's worth packaging him with what could be a wasted lotto pick to rent Batum. I think they will have to pay a lot to keep Batum, who probably would want to be on a team that has more of a shot at winning than the Hornets do during his next contract.

I think that Charlotte either is giving up on Vonleh too quick, like you said, or just wasted a lotto pick in drafting him. In the latter case, it's good to get an upgrade in Batum, but just means Rich Cho does a terrible job drafting.

I'm a Batum fan and this makes Charlotte better this year, but Charlotte needs a better plan for building.

[CLTHornets4eva]

Oh man I love it for NO

Charlotte :facepalm

[RoseCity07]

He has a ridiculously diverse skillset, but he lacks the heart to make him a scary player. That combo means he gets overpaid because people hope his heart starts up, but year after year he has been disappointing. Heck, Chandler Parsons, who is much more limited in skill, outplayed him in the playoffs a couple years ago. I remember 1 year since his newest contract where I was OK with him.

My biggest disappointment is that I think we could have got more if he were traded years ago.

Diverse skillset yes, but I now you noticed how he'd have like 8 assists and 5 TOs the same night. Also, I haven't seen Nic get a chase down block in a long time. Maybe that's scouting but he definitely fell off from just a few years ago.

[bluechox2]

this seems like their letting mathews walk, got a replacement

[bdreason]

Alrdridge headed out of town?

Surprised the Hornets gave up on their draft pick so soon.

[poido123]

They will regret trading vonleh

Dumb trade hornets

[stevieming]

He has a ridiculously diverse skillset, but he lacks the heart to make him a scary player. That combo means he gets overpaid because people hope his heart starts up, but year after year he has been disappointing. Heck, Chandler Parsons, who is much more limited in skill, outplayed him in the playoffs a couple years ago. I remember 1 year since his newest contract where I was OK with him.

My biggest disappointment is that I think we could have got more if he were traded years ago.

err no he didn't..parsons trash talked and that actually made Batum motivated for a change, and he out played parsons....

agree with you on the other stuff though...just doesn't bring it enough..but he was injured last season..

[rufuspaul]

They will regret trading vonleh

Dumb trade hornets

Maybe, maybe not. Vonleh was a project on a team that is already full of projects (Zeller, Hairston, Biyombo) and young players who haven't reached their full potential (Kemba, MKG). I like Gerald Henderson. He's a respected locker room leader but in the end he's an undersized 2 guard who can't shoot. As for Vonleh, Cho said you have to give up something to get something. The question is what is that something? It's an unknown at this point.

[poido123]

Maybe, maybe not. Vonleh was a project on a team that is already full of projects (Zeller, Hairston, Biyombo) and young players who haven't reached their full potential (Kemba, MKG). I like Gerald Henderson. He's a respected locker room leader but in the end he's an undersized 2 guard who can't shoot. As for Vonleh, Cho said you have to give up something to get something. The question is what is that something? It's an unknown at this point.



Gerald Henderson was a good part of the trade. That's one positive, his game doesn't translate to winning IMO. Those shots he takes out of flow cost Hornets games IMO.

[rufuspaul]

CBS Sports weighs in on the trade:




Charlotte Hornets receive Nicolas Batum

A couple of weeks ago, the Hornets were looking at ways to have Lance Stephenson on their roster and make it a positive. After being the worst 3-point shooter in NBA history, Stephenson's inability to fit in with Kemba Walker and the rest of the Hornets' offense was incredibly awkward. He had just one year left on his deal (the team option in the third year essentially made this an expiring deal), and it was the only way to say he had value to this team. Rich Cho moved him to the Clippers for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes, relieving Steve Clifford from trying to find a solution on the court.

In the blink of an eye, the Hornets now have Nicolas Batum as the wing next to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and a true playmaker on the perimeter the Hornets hoped to be getting when they signed Stephenson from Indiana. Batum has battled shoulder, wrist and knee injuries over the last few seasons, and those seemed to really build up and affect his shooting and overall game this past season. He shot the worst percentages (40 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from 3) of his career and didn't score in double figures (9.4) for the first time since his rookie season (5.4).

He was second on the team in assists and third in rebounds. Batum was still the playmaker the Blazers needed him to be, and while he wasn't the defender they needed him to be, he was still an obstacle for scorers to get through. Assuming he can be healthy for the Hornets in 2015-16, Batum should provide some big time offensive production for a horrendous offensive team.

You're not expecting Batum to be a 20-point per game scorer, but getting 14 efficient points and a handful of assists gets this Hornets offense going. He's also typically an outside shooter (36.3 percent from his career) you have to respect and he joins a team that was last in 3-point percentage. Marvin Williams was the only shooter they had last season with at least league average accuracy and 100 3's or more attempted.

He has just one season left on his deal, and he can play anywhere from 2-guard to a stretch-4 for Clifford's attack. His playmaking takes pressure off Kemba Walker as a playmaker and helps him become more of a scorer. He can either help set up MKG or allow him to focus even more on defense, which is a terrifying proposition for the rest of the NBA. While giving up on Noah Vonleh this early is tough, they have upgraded their wing position and still have the ninth pick in the draft to add to their core.

Grade: A

Portland Trail Blazers receive Gerald Henderson, Noah Vonleh

This is a fascinating turn of events for the Blazers. Batum was a big guy for them to retain a few years ago when the Wolves were attempting to sign him away from Portland in restricted free agency. By keeping Batum with LaMarcus Aldridge and adding Damian Lillard to the team, they had a very solid core moving forward in Terry Stotts' system. The problem for Portland is injuries befell them once again, and Batum's effectiveness was taken down a peg or two.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted out that Aldridge was aware of this deal and it has nothing to do with his impending free agency this summer. As soon as the deal was announced, it was safe to wonder whether or not the Blazers were getting ready for a quick rebuild surrounding Lillard by parting ways with Batum, Aldridge in free agency and possibly both Wesley Matthews and Arron Afflalo. Instead, this could just be a move to add depth to the roster.

Losing either Afflalo or Matthews seems inevitable. Being able to add a defender like Gerald Henderson to the mix is an upgrade defensively over what Batum gave you. But he's not the playmaker Batum was and he's certainly not the shooter Batum has shown to be. Henderson has become a guy hitting at least 33 percent of his 3s the last three seasons, but topping out at 34.8 percent isn't a great sign for a Portland offense that likes to stretch the floor. His $6 million on the table for next season is the last year of his contract and a very manageable asset if the Blazers decide to flip him later.

Noah Vonleh could be the real key to all of this. Vonleh was projected as a very nice big man coming out of Indiana. He wasn't given much time in his first year under Clifford (expected), partially due to a sports hernia that had him out for the preseason. He's a versatile big, who can stretch the floor a bit and projects to be a very good rebounder. In his limited minutes, Vonleh rebounded extremely well but struggled to hit midrange shots and attempts around the rim.

With Chris Kaman having a nonguaranteed deal for next season, Robin Lopez hitting free agency, and Meyers Leonard entering a contract extension/restricted free agency zone, Vonleh is great insurance for some big man depth to go next to Aldridge. The tricky part is they need Aldridge to re-sign, they need Lopez to re-sign and they need Vonleh to take a big step forward for next season.

This will give the Blazers more flexibility in the short-term with a long-term goal of developing Vonleh, but it's hard to look at this deal and not worry about the risk the Blazers are taking with this roster potentially falling apart this offseason.

Grade: B-

[kshutts1]

For Portland... if they keep Aldridge, Henderson and Vonleh are good enough to be depth rotational pieces, so Portland can still maintain their playoff status, hopefully.
If Portland loses Aldridge, then they got a young player with upside to be part of a rebuild. I like the deal in either scenario.

Charlotte clearly got the best player in the deal, and the defensive versatility with MKG is pretty scary... but I think they could have gotten a second round pick out of Portland.
It will be interesting to see what they do tonight, because that team is so very close to a solid playoff berth. Will they package the ninth pick with something like Marvin Williams' expiring contract, or a future first, to get a defensive big to complement Al?

They also have 7m in cap space to work with this summer. Could sign someone like Kosta Koufos as a cheap, but solid, big man to hel pout defensively.