The Charlotte Bobcats found the quickest way to kill any potential deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, reportedly asking for Nicolas Batum as the two sides discussed a trade that would send Gerald Wallace to Portland. After the rumors initially centered on Andre Miller or Joel Przybilla from the Portland side, Rudy Fernandez saw his name pop-up later on Wednesday night. With a host of players floated, it’s unknown who the Blazers and Bobcats were discussing, but the deal reportedly died sometime on Thursday morning.
If Charlotte did ask for Batum, they must have done so knowing he was off-limits. Portland has maintained it has no interest in moving Batum, telling teams he’s untouchable. If the Bobcats asked for Batum, it’s no wonder the talks died and a deal for Wallace never came to fruition.
With the Gerald Wallace talks dead, and just over an hour until the trade deadline, it looks the Blazers are content to stand-still. The rumored Gerald Wallace trade was the Blazers big splash, but with it stalled and done with, no other players have been linked to Portland on Wednesday morning.
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