While Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey is publicly saying the Blazers will match any offer for Nicolas Batum, it appears they are actually preparing for his departure to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The two teams are currently working on a sign-and-trade arrangement where the Timberwolves would send draft picks back to Portland to secure Batum, according to ESPN's sources.
Blazers Could Receive Draft Picks In Nicolas Batum Sign And Trade, According To Report
The current parameters of the deal have the Timberwolves sending two first-round draft picks and a veteran small forward to the Blazers, according to the report. The Timberwolves would have to get a third team involved to find the veteran small forward. Earlier reports suggested they were interested in trading for Chicago Bulls forward Kyle Korver, so perhaps that's the missing piece.
The Timberwolves cannot trade their own first-round pick in consecutive years -- they dealt their 2012 pick several years ago, and it ended up with the Hornets -- but they do have an additional lottery-protected pick from the Houston Rockets that they could send to Portland.
For more on the Blazers, visit Blazer’s Edge, and make sure to read their posts on Batum’s offer from the Wolves and Portland’s free agent strategy.
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