Report: Trail Blazers Close to Dealing Nicolas Batum to Hornets

The Trail Blazers are reportedly finalizing a deal with the Hornets centered around Nicolas Batum.

Image via USA TODAY Sports/Jesse Johnson

The Charlotte Hornets aren't wasting any time restructuring their roster. A little over a week after shipping Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes, the Hornets are finalizing a deal that will bring Nicolas Batum of the Portland Trail Blazers to Charlotte, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. In exchange for Batum, the Hornets will reportedly send Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonieh

Even though Batum struggled last season, averaging 9.4 points per game while shooting a career-low 40 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc, the Hornets are getting a offensive-minded wing player. And it should be noted that the 26-year-old forward will be entering his contract year, so if there was ever a time to have a breakout season, it's during the 2015-16 campaign.

As for the Trail Blazers, they will be getting a solid shooting guard in Henderson, as well as Charlotte's 2014 ninth overall pick in Vonieh. The jury is still out on whether or not the 19-year-old power forward will pan out, but arguably, the most important part of the deal is that this trade gives Portland more money to use towards keeping LaMarcus Aldridge.   

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[via Adrian Wojnarowski]

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