The Year Is 2016: The Hornets Just Traded Nicolas Batum for Cole Aldrich

The news broke in the most unceremonious way possible: a tweet from an NBA insider, dropped between Summer League highlights and free agency rumors.

“Charlotte has traded Nicolas Batum to Minnesota for Cole Aldrich, league sources tell ESPN.”

The Fallout in Charlotte

Charlotte fans, still riding the high of a surprising 48-win season and a near upset of the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, were in disbelief. Batum had just signed a five-year, $120 million deal the previous summer. He was supposed to be Kemba Walker’s running mate, the versatile wing who could shoot, pass, and defend. And now… he was gone.

For Cole Aldrich?

Sure, the Hornets needed a backup center after Al Jefferson’s departure, but Aldrich was… a journeyman. A solid screen-setter, a rebounder, but no one you trade a key piece for.

Michael Jordan’s front office insisted it was about flexibility. “This move allows us to reshape the roster moving forward,” GM Rich Cho told reporters. “We’re committed to building a contender around Kemba Walker.”

Fans weren’t buying it. #FireCho trended on Hornets Twitter for days.

Minnesota’s Perspective

For the Timberwolves, the deal was a no-brainer. Tom Thibodeau, fresh off taking over as coach and president of basketball ops, had inherited a promising young core: Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine. But they lacked veteran leadership and perimeter playmaking.

Batum wasn’t a star, but he was a connector. A player who could space the floor, distribute the ball, and guard multiple positions. In theory, he was the perfect complement to the Wolves’ young core.

But there was one problem—that contract.

Minnesota fans debated whether Batum was worth the price tag. Some saw him as a necessary stabilizer for a team desperate to make the playoffs for the first time since the Kevin Garnett era. Others worried they had just committed long-term cap space to a player whose best years were likely behind him.

The Reality Check

In the short term, the trade didn’t move the needle much. Charlotte’s offense sputtered without Batum’s secondary playmaking, and they missed the playoffs, finishing with 36 wins. Aldrich, despite a promising start, saw his minutes dwindle as the season progressed.

Minnesota, meanwhile, still struggled defensively, and Batum’s inconsistency frustrated Thibs. By 2018, the Wolves were looking for ways to move his contract, especially after trading for Jimmy Butler.

Looking back, NBA historians would file this trade under “forgettable but painful” for Charlotte. For Minnesota, it was another case of overpaying for a role player who never quite fit.

The year was 2016. The Hornets traded Nicolas Batum for Cole Aldrich. And no one really won.