A possible trade scenario could emerge when the Charlotte Hornets eventually surrender the season.
The Hornets were aggressively in win-now mode, which is why they traded for Batum. But when Michael Kidd-Gilchrist got injured for the season, they might have taken a "wait-and-see" stance.
If the season takes a downturn, they might recognize that Nic Batum will become a free agent and it would be wise to somehow gain some assets for him.
On the other hand, the Golden State Warriors would like to keep Harrison Barnes, but as Zach Lowe of Grantland mentioned, he can command as much as $ 20 million from teams with cap space. The Lakers and Celtics, among others, would like Barnes youth and skill set and would be willing to throw a max offer at him.
While the Warriors can theoretically match any offer, would they want to give Barnes $ 20million when Stephen Curry only gets $ 11million? They will also need to pay center Festus Ezeli this summer, too.
Batum would be an option as explored in Real GM and they could send Harrison Barnes to Charlotte, along with Jason Thompson and Brandon Rush to match salaries, according to the ESPN Trade Machine.
Acquiring Batum later in the season can give the Warriors another clutch option for their championship defense as user 'MotorKeepsGoing' stated in Real GM.
"Batum for Barnes is nice idea if we(Hornets) were worried about Batum leaving, but it's not something I'd consider if we're around .500 and looking to make the push for the playoffs. GS would basically be unstoppable, since Batum would basically be a second Iguodala (minus some defense, plus some shooting) for them. That's scary."
As previously stated, this is a hypothetical trade based on the premise that the Hornets would not make the playoffs come trade deadline time. If they were to gain the rights to Harrison Barnes, he could be a vital cog in their rebuilding effort, especially if Al Jefferson decides to leave.