All-Star point guard Damian Lillard played with a variety of players during his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Milwaukee Bucks have a chance to reunite him with former teammate Nicolas Batum as he is set to become a free agent this offseason.
Batum’s journey to the NBA was marked by several key moves and transitions. Drafted 25th overall by the Houston Rockets in 2008, he was quickly traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he spent the first seven years of his career. In 2015, Batum was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, where he signed a lucrative five-year contract. Contract for 120 million dollars. However, his time in Charlotte didn’t last forever as the team released him in 2020.
After three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Batum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal involving All-Star shooting guard James Harden. Now the French veteran is set to begin the offseason as a free agent, with the opportunity to test his options and potentially find a recent home in the NBA.
Throughout his career, Batum has demonstrated versatility and the ability to play on both ends of the floor. As he looks to the next chapter, his extensive experience and proven track record could make him an attractive target for teams in need of a veteran presence.
Nicolas Batum a potential free agent target for the Milwaukee Bucks pairing with Damian Lillard
As it stands, the Bucks’ front office needs to provide the team with veteran experience, defense and outside shooting. In an article for Behind The Buck Pass, Dalton Sell explained why Batum makes sense for a Giannis Antetokounmpo-led team.
“Damian Lillard and Nicolas Batum were members of some very underrated Trail Blazers teams in the early to mid-2010s. While the Milwaukee Bucks wouldn’t get this version of Batum, they could still acquire an impact player if they added one who just finished his 16th NBA season to the roster.
First and foremost, Batum would give the Bucks a 6-foot-8 chess piece who is capable of playing both tackle and tackle. He could be plugged into countless lineup combinations, giving the Bucks the versatile piece they had been missing. He could be especially useful when Milwaukee plays lightly and puts Giannis at center, as Batum could be a power forward in that case. Sell wrote.
Throughout his careerBatum averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. During his 16 seasons in the NBA, he also hit 43 percent of his field goals and 36 percent from deep.
Time will tell whether Batum ends up in Milwaukee with Lillard, signs with another team, or simply retires from the NBA. Either way, reuniting him with Lillard will be an engaging move for the Bucks.
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