Clippers bring back beloved former player

Forward Nicolas Batum.

Paul George may no longer be around, but the vibes are still there for the L.A. Clippers.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Monday that veteran forward Nicolas Batum is returning to the Clippers. Batum is signing a two-year, $9.6 million deal for a second stint with the team.

Batum, 35, played for the Clippers from 2020-23. He became a beloved figure with his 3-and-D intangibles as well as his qualities as a teammate.

Batum had a key role during the Clippers’ only Western Conference Finals appearance in franchise history in 2021, and his willingness to do the dirty work for the team made him a big-time fan favorite.

Last season, Batum was traded away to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the James Harden trade. While it was a necessary move for a player of Harden’s caliber, there did seem to be some hard feelings over the trade (particularly from Batum’s wife). But now that the Clippers can bring Batum back (since it is now a new league year), they are doing just that.

With Philly last season, Batum averaged 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest on 46/40/71 shooting splits. But his contributions went far beyond the box score, and Batum even had a memorable explosion in the postseason for the 76ers. Those same qualities should help Batum fit right back in with the Clippers.

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