Despite being expected to land Carmelo Anthony, the Houston Rockets are reportedly interested in adding a defensive-minded player prior to the start of training camp. Here’s why a deal for Nicolas Batum would make sense.
Despite agreeing to re-sign both Chris Paul and Clint Capela to long-term extensions via free agency, the Houston Rockets are not finished making slight alterations to their official roster, as the team that is on the verge of officially adding Carmelo Anthony could seek to make another move prior to the beginning of training camp.
According to ESPN ‘s Brian Windhorst, Houston has reportedly been active on the trade market over the last several days — and expressed interest in acquiring a long-term contract — to obtain a defensive-minded asset in the wake of the departures of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute. The Rockets, who finished sixth overall in defensive efficiency last season, are interested in trading for Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kent Bazemore, per Kelly Iko of Rockets Wire.
However, there is one particular player whose name has not been officially linked to the Rockets, and fits the general description that general manager Daryl Morey and Houston are looking for this summer.
His name? Nicolas Batum.
The 29-year-old forward — who is under contract for the next three seasons — averaged 11.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game through 64 outings with the Charlotte Hornets last season, and is regarded by many as one of the most versatile wing players in the league when healthy. His capability to serve as a seconary playmaker, shoot and defend multiple positions would make him a tremendous upgrade on the wing for the Rockets.
Should Clutch City fail to land the services of Bazemore, then a potential trade between the two parties might be enough to help the Rockets land the 10-year veteran sometime soon.
With Batum onboard, Houston would feature a solid crop of forwards in Anthony, James Ennis and Gerald Green, providing head coach Mike D’Antoni with a wide range of options depending upon which lineups opposing coaches throw his way in the regular season and playoffs. The deal would also providing the Hornets with a grand opportunity to dump Batum’s massive contract, as Charlotte seeks to develop its young core and rebuild out in the Eastern Conference.
Although it might be hard for the Rockets to shell out an annual salary of over $24 million the next three seasons to Batum, paying the former French League star to help the Rockets could prove to be much more enticing than dishing out the $20.4 million owed to Ryan Anderson during the 2018-19 season.
Anderson will likely see a reduced role following the arrival of Anthony, but Batum’s ability to defend some of the game’s best guards and knock down open shots could make him a nice fit alongside James Harden and Chris Paul.
The Rockets are already facing a projected luxury tax bill of $21.4 million to date, and with the organization currently seeking to win, one cannot help but wonder if that number will increase within the coming months down in Houston, where the run toward capturing a third NBA championship has officially begun.