French basketball player Nicolas Batum talks to journalists during an event to mark 100 days to go until the EuroBasket championships on May 27, 2015 in Paris. AFP PHOTO / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU
Charlotte continues to be active in the offseason and nabbed Nicolas Batum from Portland in exchange of Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh in hopes of improving its offense.
Missing out the playoffs even after being in the thick of things late in the regular season, the Hornets will get a boost from the Frenchman with Batum being a career 36-percent shooter. Charlotte finished last in the NBA in three-point shooting.
He started 71 games for the Trail Blazers last season and posted 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists despite enduring a wrist injury.
Batum’s acquisition, which was reported on NBA.com, came days after Charlotte dealt Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes.
“We felt like we needed some more shooting and we feel like we have addressed that,” said Hornets general manager Rich Cho in the report. “(Batum) provides a three-point shooting threat and he’s a good versatile defender who can guard multiple positions.”
The 6-foot-8 Batum is expected to start at the shooting guard spot, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will remain at small forward.
He is on the final year of his contract and will make $11.8 million this year.
Cho said that Charlotte is not done in the trade market and is still looking for deals to improve the squad’s shooting.
“We’re still looking to do a number of different things,” he said.
Portland netted Henderson, who was the longest-tenured player on the Hornets after being picked in the first round in 2009 out of Duke.
Vonleh, meanwhile, was the no. 9 pick in last year’s draft but played only 25 games under coach Steve Clifford.