NBA Rumors: San Antonio Spurs Must Pair Nicolas Batum with Tony Parker

Tony Parker and Nicolas Batum are known to be close friends. They have been teammates previously with the French national team and there is reason to speculate that they would like to play together in the NBA.

Now, it sounds like there is a possibility for that to happen in the offseason.

According to Chris Haynes of Comcast SportsNet Northwest, the Spurs will make a "hard push" to land Batum's services.

"The number I'm hearing Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum will command this offseason is $10-11 million per, according to a few league executives when Batum becomes a restricted free agent."

"And, I'm being told by multiple sources that the San Antonio Spurs will make a hard push to attain the promising small forward."

It makes sense.

As Haynes correctly points out, the Spurs had been prepared to draft Batum in 2008 until the Houston Rockets surprised everyone by picking the swingman.

"I thought for sure I was headed to San Antonio," Batum told Haynes. "I was talking with Tony (Parker) and the guys and then Houston drafts me out of nowhere."

"The Spurs play well together. They share the ball and do everything the right way," said Batum.

Doesn't that sound like a player who is looking to play his home games in San Antonio?

The Spurs have been a model franchise for over a decade.

The team constantly finds hidden gems in the draft, spends smartly when it comes to free agents and knows how to evaluate talent and produce a team capable of succeeding on the floor.

With Batum, it would be another step in the right direction.

Just 23 years old, Batum is already in his fourth NBA season. As a starting small forward this season, he's averaging 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

Not so coincidentally, the Spurs have an opening at small forward.

Yes, the team traded for Stephen Jackson at the deadline, but he's been coming off the bench. Rookie Kawhi Leonard has been impressive, but he's shown an inclination to produce whether he's in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.

When a team has the ability to add a player like Batum, you do it.

The asking price of $10 million per season might sound a little lofty, but decision-makers are supposed to be paying for future performance when signing free agents.

You're paying for their future production, not what they've done in the past.

San Antonio is going to have to get creative in order to make a Batum signing work.

The team needs to re-sign Tim Duncan at season's end, which will eat into available cap space, but the Spurs still hold the amnesty clause in their back pocket after deciding against using it on Richard Jefferson last year.

The Spurs could also explore the trade market and there are a few different methods the club could utilize to accommodate Batum into the fold.

By signing Batum, the Spurs get younger and more talented simultaneously. That's a rare feat to accomplish in free agency.

This isn't a player who would need to develop with Parker. He's already got the chemistry with the starting point guard to make it work and that is a huge competitive advantage.

It's hard to sign a restricted free agent. Teams often match whatever offers the player receives unless they're completely outlandish, and Portland has cleared a ton of cap space to re-sign Batum.

However, Batum's agent doesn't intend to give the Trail Blazers first crack at his client.

From Haynes:

"

Negotiations got so heated that it prompted this response from Batum's agent: "When Batum becomes a restricted free agent, we'll look at the other 29 teams before we talk to the Blazers," Ndiaye told CSNNW.com. "The Blazers had their chance."

"

The Spurs are waiting to swoop in on Batum, who would fit the picture in San Antonio in more ways than one.