Trail Blazers match Timberwolves’ offer for Nicolas Batum

The Portland Trail Blazers weren’t bluffing about Nicolas Batum after all.

The Blazers matched Minnesota’s four-year offer sheet worth more than $45 million for the restricted free agent, keeping the 23-year-old swingman in Portland just like GM Neil Olshey said they would all along.

Olshey made the announcement on Wednesday in Las Vegas, where the Blazers were participating in the NBA’s summer league. He said that some of the incentives in Minnesota’s offer sheet, which would have pushed the deal past $50 million, were denied by the league.

“The decision was made a long time ago,” Olshey told reporters in Las Vegas. “We were never not going to have Nicolas back. We did investigate certain things with Minnesota as a due diligence deal. We wanted to make sure we explored every option to improve our basketball team, but there was never a situation where there was a commensurate package offered back that was attractive enough to let Nicolas go.”

Portland’s move to keep Batum ended a long and occasionally bitter negotiation between the Blazers and the Timberwolves, who were convinced the French player was the missing piece in a young core that already has Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

The Denver Nuggets re-signed free-agent center JaVale McGee to a multiyear contract, fulfilling one of their top off-season priorities.

Masai Ujiri, Denver’s executive vice president of basketball operations, made the announcement Wednesday night. Yahoo Sports reported the deal was for $44 million over four years.

ETC.

No charges filed against Doughty

Citing insufficient evidence, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to file charges against the Kings’ Drew Doughty, who was investigated by Hermosa Beach police in connection with a sexual assault allegation.

The allegations date to March 1, when a 25-year-old woman met Doughty at a bar near the Hermosa Beach Pier. She turned down a proposition from Doughty in front of several teammates, police said.

They took a cab to her home, where she accused Doughty of raping her. The woman reported the incident to police the same day. According to the filing declination, the woman told police the two had consensual sex a few months prior to the incident.

She said that during the March incident, Doughty never threatened her, but that he had “intercourse with her against her will.”

Detectives told The Times that they asked the woman to call the hockey player while they listened, but she refused. They said that the woman has been “less than cooperative” and that the district attorney’s office and police have “found credibility problems.”

“I spoke to Drew today and he’s relieved that the charges were not filed,” said Doughty’s attorney, Craig Renetzky. “However, it was not unexpected. He maintained his innocence all along.”

—Andrew Blankstein and Helene Elliott

Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins ended their contract impasse when the rookie quarterback signed a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $21.1 million. It also includes a club option for a fifth year.

Griffin’s agent, Ben Dogra, told the Associated Press that the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Baylor agreed to terms and will be in Redskins rookie camp on Wednesday.

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was charged with driving under the influence in Northern California.

Lynch was charged by the Alameda County district attorney with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and driving while having a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher. Lynch has a court date on Aug. 14, which is in the middle of Seahawks training camp.

Top-seeded Marion Bartoli of France defeated Vania King, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, in the second round of the Mercury Insurance Open at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

Former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Cleveland Elam, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who had a team-high 17.5 sacks in 1976, has died. He was 60.

Elam died July 12. The team confirmed his death Wednesday.