Nicolas Batum to Sign $46.5 Million Offer Sheet from Minnesota Timberwolves

The never-ending chess match rages on between the Timberwolves, free agent forward Nicolas Batum and his current team the Blazers. Today, Batum is expected to sign a large contract offer sheet from Minny, giving Portland three days to match it (which they’ve repeatedly said they will.) From the Star Tribune: “Wolves owner Glen Taylor said the team will submit the signed $46.5 million offer sheet to the NBA by the end of business today, a distinction that gives the Blazers one last chance to agree to a sign-and-trade. The Wolves are willing to offer draft picks, but aren’t giving up Derrick Williams or Nikola Pekovic. Taylor said he believes the Blazers have seen the offer sheet. ‘You call their bluff,’ he said. Once submitted, you can bet two things: The Blazers will match and they’ll take probably nearly all 72 hours to do it. This negotiation hasn’t yet ended in compromise and a sign-and-trade agreement, so the Wolves are following through with their threat of overpaying a young player whose big contract now almost certainly will go on the Blazers’ books. If the Blazers weren’t willing to take a draft pick or picks and Kyle Korver, you know they’re not willing to give up Batum for nothing now. The offer sheet does include some bonuses above the $46.5 million, such as All Star Game appearances, etc. Once Batum signs the offer sheet, the option for a sign-and-trade is gone.”