In an article about Batum, Haynes includes this quote from Olshey: "if Nic can make a jump, if Wes [Matthews] can make a jump, if L.A. [LaMarcus Aldridge] can just be L.A., and Damian [Lillard] can be who we think he has the ability to be, we're not that far away. And having a lottery pick potentially, and three second [round picks], and having $13 million in room potentially, is a pretty good position to be in eight months from now." That sounds to me like someone who isn't going to pick up the options on the Smith/Babbitt/Williams troika, and who is going to manage the season to ensure we aren't giving away our first rounder to the Bobcats.