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Clippers Re-Sign Nic Batum to Two-Year Deal
In the most expected Clippers news of the entire offseason, the Clips re-signed veteran forward Nic Batum to a two-year, $11.5M contract. The second year is a team option and Nico also gets a trade kicker as part of the deal. It’s a raise for Nico while remaining very team friendly for the Clippers.
Nico has spent 4+ of the last 5 years on the Clippers and has become one of the most beloved role players in franchise history. Nico is in the waning days of his career and is no longer capable of starting or playing heavy minutes regularly, but he’s still an excellent backup power forward who can handle stints at small-ball center as needed. His combination of shooting, defense, and connective play makes this contract a real value play, even at his age.
Nico is one of the few rotation players on the team the past few seasons who has earned the respect of the team’s stars, coaching staff, and front office as well as the love of fans, making him an essential bench guy for the Clippers. The Clippers openly stated that they missed him the one season he spent in Philadelphia after the James Harden trade, and Nico in return has said he doesn’t want to play for another NBA team the rest of his career.
On the court, the Clippers now have most of their rotation set. The only real need on the roster is a backup point guard, and that signing will probably come in the next few days.
Welcome back, Nico!