Ben Golliver's post on Portland Trail Blazers | Latest updates on Sulia

Blazers GM Neil Olshey had an interesting spin on Nicolas Batum's comments about preferring Timberwolves: "Nic never said that. Let's be very clear. Nic made a couple of comments at the behest of the Minnesota Timberwolves and his agent. That was their agenda, it was never Nicolas's agenda. If I wasn't in constant contact with the kid, I wouldn't tell you that. I can tell you that Nicolas called me after those articles went out and said, 'They asked me to do this. They put me up to it. It's not me. I want to talk to you directly Neil. I don't want my agent to know or another team to know. I just want you and I to be on the same page.' He always wanted to be back in Portland. I think he would have liked to have done the deal straight up just like I would have. But he listened to his representative and that's his prerogative. His representative did a great job. He got him a hell of a deal. Now we move on. The Portland fanbase should in no way resent Nicolas Batum for this."