17-Year NBA Veteran Signs with the Clippers

Soon-to-be 17-year NBA veteran Nicolas Batum has officially signed a two-year deal worth almost 10 million dollars with the Los Angeles Clippers. Although rumors of Batum retiring were circling earlier in the 2023-24 season, Batum has decided to continue his pursuit of an NBA championship. The six-foot-eight-inch wing was one of the most desired veterans on the market given his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.

Batum is one of the few players in the league that can be described as a Swiss army knife. He can guard any position, run your offense, and hit threes at a high percentage. Although Batum's stats don’t jump off the screen, his impact is clear to anyone who watches. He finished the regular season amongst the top 50 for three-point percentage, shooting 39%. When the playoffs started Batum increased his three-point percentage, shooting 40% in the six games he appeared in. 

In an NBA era where long and tall wings are essential in a deep playoff push, it’s easy to see why the Clippers made a consensus effort to bring Batum in. Batum was the MVP for the Philadelphia 76ers in their play-in tournament game against the Miami Heat. In this game, Batum scored 20 points while shooting six for 10 from the three-point line. That win helped the 76ers avoid the 64-win Boston Celtics, who nobody wanted to play in the first round. Another notable game for Batum was when he scored 16 points during game six of the Sixers' first-round series against the New York Knicks.