Minnesota Timberwolves: Buying or selling 5 power forward trade targets
Minnesota Timberwolves Trade Target: Nicolas Batum
So, about that defense-and-spacing role…
Nicolas Batum was a man without a clear place in the NBA a mere season ago. He was so frequently lampooned for his outsized contract that he went as far as to apologize to Charlotte Hornets fans for his salary. Frankly, the apology felt appropriate.
However, last year was a redemptive one for the veteran Frenchman, as he played a key role in the Los Angeles Clippers’ Western Conference Finals run. Gersson Rosas should check in and see if the impending free agent would like to take his multifaceted contributions to a young team in need of veteran leadership.
Batum’s defensive rating of 110 may not knock your socks off, but it is the best mark we’ve seen for any individual player in this article thus far. Furthermore, Batum may not possess a single elite defensive quality, but it’s the versatility of his defense that the Timberwolves should covet.
With a seven-foot wingspan, Batum can guard the 3 or 4, and even man the five spot for some effective small-ball bursts. On the offensive end, Batum’s low maintenance, glue-guy approach could be particularly effective for the Wolves.
His 40.4 percent 3-point percentage from last season will more than suffice for their spacing needs, and his 3.2 assist to turnover ratio paired with his low 10.3 percent usage rate point to a player who should fit right in with the team’s abundance of playmakers.
Batum is the furthest from a star of any player we’ve covered in this article thus far. That’s fine. The Wolves already have stars. Winning teams need veteran role players, and Batum epitomizes the role.