Nico Batum to sign two-year deal with Clippers, according to report

Nico Batum has agreed to a two-year, $9.6 million deal to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to ESPN.

Batum’s departure means the Sixers lose a valued veteran forward. The 35-year-old provided outside shooting, defensive versatility, reliable under-the-radar skills such as post-entry and inbounds passing, and a calm demeanor. He averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 60 games for the Sixers last season, and said he enjoyed playing in Philly more than he expected.

His reported salary with the Clippers is likely far more than the Sixers could have offered Batum, after Paul George agreed to come to Philly on a four-year max contract early Monday morning. Landing George is also probably a reason the Clippers were able to pursue Batum at that number.

Batum also has deep ties to Clippers coach Tyronn Lue — crediting him with extending his career during his first stint — and Los Angeles, where his family was comfortable. After Batum was traded to the Sixers as part of the James Harden blockbuster, he briefly stepped away from the team to help his wife handle a personal health matter.

» READ MORE: David Murphy: Paul George was the Sixers’ only hope for a title. The risk is big. The odds speak for themselves.

Batum’s decision to return to Los Angeles also comes following speculation that he was considering retirement. When Batum was asked, “Is this it?” immediately following the Sixers’ Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks in the playoffs’ first round, an eavesdropping Joel Embiid quipped, “No, it’s not. You’re coming back to the Sixers.”

But Embiid’s prediction was incorrect. The departures of Batum and Tobias Harris, who on Monday agreed to sign a two-year deal with the Detroit Pistons, means the Sixers now have a notable hole at power forward.