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Charlotte Hornets: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 19, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) is congratulated by guard Nicolas Batum (5) after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Charlotte won 98-95. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) is congratulated by guard Nicolas Batum (5) after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Charlotte won 98-95. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Charlotte Hornets
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 /

Bringing Back Batum

The Charlotte Hornets’ top priority this offseason was re-signing unrestricted free agent Nicolas Batum. They were able to accomplish that goal, but it came at a steep price.

With a five-year, $120 million offer, the Hornets immediately retained their most important free agent, striking within the opening hours of free agency. Batum will have a $27.1 million player option in the final year of his deal.

Though it’s a backloaded deal, paying an average of $24 million a year for a 27-year-old who averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game seems like quite a hefty sum. Batum is an underrated player on both ends of the floor, but he’s not a superstar either.

That being said, there’s no question his arrival in Charlotte was the catalyst behind the Hornets’ turnaround season in 2015-16, and his re-signing there makes giving up Noah Vonleh in the original Batum trade worth much more than a one-year rental.

Batum missed 12 games due to injury last season, and though he shot only 42.6 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three-point range, his two-way versatility is imperative to Charlotte remaining a playoff team in 2015-16, especially with so many key departures on the roster.

Under next year’s $94 million salary cap, Batum’s $20.9 million salary will account for 22.2 percent of Charlotte’s cap space — the equivalent of a $15.6 million deal under last year’s $70 million salary cap. As the salary cap continues to expand and Batum’s salary increases, that number should stay (relatively) level, or at least for 2017-18.

Because of his length and versatility, Batum can play multiple positions and play them well. This deal will take the Hornets through Batum’s prime and is $32 million short of what his full max would’ve been.

It was a necessity for Charlotte to keep Nicolas Batum, but paying a guy who’d be a great complementary player on a contender the way you’d pay a star may also hinder further free agency endeavors.

Grade: B+

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