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Nicolas Batum Agrees To 5-Year Deal With Charlotte Hornets

By Justin Rowan

Mar 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Charlotte Hornets won 100-85. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Charlotte Hornets won 100-85. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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After spending last season with the Charlotte Hornets, Nicolas Batum has agreed to re-sign there for five more years.

Nicolas Batum was one of the better acquisitions last season in the NBA last season when the Charlotte Hornets traded Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh for him.

Batum performed at a near All-Star level last season, averaging 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game on 42.6 percent shooting from the floor and 34.8 percent from three-point range.

His presence took pressure off of the rest of the team and helped allow Kemba Walker to have the best year of his career. While Michael Kidd-Gilchrist missed most of last season, the wing tandem of him and Batum has a ton of length and potential moving forward.

It’s clear that the Hornets believe in that potential as well as they have signed Batum to a five-year deal worth $120 million, per The Vertical’s Shams Charania. Coming into the free agency period, the Hornets had identified that bringing back Batum would be their No. 1 priority, and it only took them about four hours after free agency started to get the deal done.

Given Batum’s ability to play both ends of the floor and some of the money that’s already been thrown around in this free agency period, $20 million a year could be a steal for the Hornets as long as Batum stays healthy.

By trading for Batum last summer, the Hornets were always in the driver seat when it came to getting a deal done, as they possessed his Bird Rights and could offer him the fifth year on his deal and more money than anybody else.

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    • The Hornets still have decisions to make on the perimeter as Courtney Lee is a free agent as well. Coming into last season, the Hornets wanted to add more three-point shooting and improve on the perimeter. Batum was a big part of them achieving that goal and should they lose Lee, as they lost point guard Jeremy Lin to the Brooklyn Nets, they will need to find a way to replace that production.

    The Hornets must also turn their focus onto big man Al Jefferson. Jefferson has been a big part of what the team has done over the last few seasons, but may not be part of their future moving forward. Batum presents the team with strong two-way play and an ability to get up and down the floor.

    Jefferson is one of the best low post scorers in the league, but is a liability on the defensive end of the floor and is far from mobile. An up-tempo offense is likely the best direction for this team to go with the speedy Walker and the offensively limited Kidd-Gilchrist excelling in transition more than the half court.

    A team that has undergone an identity change last season of adding more offense and shooting now sits at a crossroads.

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    The Hornets retaining a free agent wing that was highly in demand is definitely a step in the right direction for the franchise as they hope to return to the playoffs again next season. If the Hornets are to return to the playoffs and possibly advance past the first round for the first time since returning to Charlotte, the 27-year-old Batum will likely be a major part of that.

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