Nicolas Batum, signs extension with Hornets
The Vertical's Shams Charania reports that the small forward, who was supposed to be meeting with the Mavs sometime Friday, struck a deal to stay with the Hornets.
Why? According to the ESPN report, Chandler Parsons is expected to leave the Mavericks during the free agency period as they decline to offer him a max contract and focus on other free-agent targets. Among those targets, as reported by SportsDay's Eddie Sefko, are Memphis point guard Mike Conley and Miami center Hassan Whiteside.But Parsons' likely exit shouldn't be surprising.
During a recent Q&A on Twitter, Parsons made it clear he believes he remains a max-contract player. But the Mavericks, as a source told Sefko last week, want to keep Parsons only at the right price. He can earn nearly $100 million over four seasons with a maximum deal. The source said the Mavericks would be more inclined to offer something around $80 million
Batum averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists for the Hornets last season after being traded from Portland to Charlotte over the summer.
According to the ESPN report, Charlotte is widely considered to be the front-runner to secure Batum's services -- especially if it offers him a fifth year on a new contract, which only Charlotte can do during the free agency period.
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