Veteran forward Nicolas Batum reportedly opted out of his contract with the LA Clippers to become a free agent this offseason. Batum has a player option for 2022-23 that would come with a $3.3 million salary.
Batum had a solid 2021-22 campaign with the Clippers that saw him making 54 starts and averaging 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. The 33-year-old also made 40 percent of his three-point attempts on 4.6 shots per game.
Based on this, Batum’s decision to opt-out makes sense as he can do much better on the open market. However, the Clippers would be willing to bring him back even at a bigger price tag, and there is a mutual interest to get the deal done, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
There are several other teams reportedly standing in line for Batum if he doesn’t return to the Clippers. The list is quite long and includes the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, and the Phoenix Suns.
Nicolas Batum is in the midst of a career resurrection after a disappointing 2019–20 campaign with the Charlotte Hornets in which he only played 22 games and averaged 3.6 points per game. This low point prompted the Hornets to eat up the last year of his five-year, $120 million deal and waive him.
However, the Clippers were not discouraged by this and decided to bring him on shortly after he cleared waivers. It proved to be a great decision for the franchise as the France international established himself as one of the key role players and a great defensive presence on the floor for the LA team.
