The Hornets have a recent history of overpaying players on shorter contracts such as Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson but that was to sign them away from another team. Charlotte took another track with Batum, trading for him a season before his free agency, thoroughly testing out the fit, really liking the fit and then re-signing him on a five-year, $120 million deal. This was a unique, mutually beneficial test drive that would be a nice opportunity for players and teams to do more often before committing years and money to one another.

An annual average of $24 million for Batum is the equivalent of a $17.8 million deal under the previous cap.

Batum is a versatile complementary wing that can play in a variety of ways. With his intelligence and abilities as a passer plus his ability to switch onto any type of player due to his length, he’s a prototypical modern wing that would fit in with the Warriors for example. 

The Blazers traded him for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson as they began going in another direction at last year’s draft before LaMarcus Aldridge became a free agent. Batum is a reliable mid-30s three-point shooter at a high volume with 399 in 15-16 with the Hornets. Charlotte was 4.9 points per 100 possessions better on offense with Batum on the floor. 

Batum is below average as an isolation scorer but the Hornets have Kemba Walker for that and he’ll instead do a bunch of little things in the aggregate. The best non-Warriors’ lineup in the NBA last season was Jeremy Lin, Kemba Walker, Batum, Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson that had a net rating of 33.0.

Batum has been overrated or underrated as a defensive player depending on who you speak to, but he is versatile with his length and ability to defend multiple types of players. Batum can defend any wing in the NBA and can hold up fairly well against stretchy power forwards or rotation 4’s. 

Batum is in that strata right below an All-Star but he always outplays his value in a vacuum due to how he makes his teammates better and offers the type versatility that allows the Hornets to play in a variety of ways.

Grade for Hornets: A-

Batum tried to leave the Blazers in his restricted free agency in 2012 when he signed a four-year, $45 million offer sheet with the Wolves that was matched. At the end of his first season with the Hornets, Batum said it was the first time in his career he was able to play the way he wanted to after those seasons with the Blazers when he had to defer to first Brandon Roy and then LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard.

Batum’s usage rate went up from 14.6 to 21.4 and his assist rate jumped from 20.5 to 26.9. Batum was given a much bigger role in the Hornets’ offense and helped them hit the sixth seed and take the Heat to a Game 7 in the first round.

Playing in Charlotte, Batum is also a much closer flight away from France than he was in Portland on top of how he strongly preferred the on-court fit.

Grade for Nicolas Batum: A