Hornets' Nicolas Batum Reportedly Out 3-4 Weeks with Finger Injury
Nicolas Batum will miss three to four weeks after fracturing his left middle finger in the Charlotte Hornets' 126-125 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.
Batum was limited to 11 minutes in the victory, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists.
The Hornets confirmed after the game the 30-year-old Frenchman fractured his finger.
Charlotte is basically counting down the remaining time on Batum's five-year, $120 million contract. He's due to earn $25.6 million this season and then has a $27.1 million player option for 2020-21.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in January 2018 the Hornets had made Batum available along with a few of their other high earners but that his deal was "largely unattractive in the marketplace."
Batum started 72 games for Charlotte last season, but he appears to have a smaller role on the team as it looks toward the future. He came off the bench against Chicago.
The Hornets are widely expected to be one of the NBA's worst teams after losing Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb to free agency. Batum's injury shouldn't hurt them too much on the court, but it will further diminish the chances the team can shed his contract in a trade.
