Nicolas Batum and the LA Clippers, a business that works.
When the 33-year-old French international winger, a Clips player for two years, declined his $3.3 million option for the 2022-23 season, there was little doubt about his intentions and those of the club leaders. California club.
Certainly, "Batman" was free to commit wherever he wanted this summer.
But everything already led to believe that his future would continue to be written in the City of Angels.
And that is exactly what will happen.
From the first minutes of the "Free agency", Adrian Wojnarowski of
ESPN
taught us that the two parties said yes to two more years of commitment, until 2024.
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Passed by Portland (2008-15) and Charlotte (2015-20) before LA, Batum, comes out of a season with 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists (59 matches, 54 starts).
A delicate 2021-22 campaign on a collective level due to the physical glitches of the two stars of the Californian franchise, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Eighth in the West at the end of the regular season (42v-40d), the Clips were eliminated in play-in by the New Orleans Pelicans.
“
Without the play-in, we would be in the play-offs, but there is nothing to criticize this format, where we simply did not do the job.
But it's good that we come out of it frustrated
, ”launched the Norman a few weeks ago, in an interview with
L'Équipe
.
Interview in which Batum was already talking about the Clippers in the future.
“
The 2022-23 season has already started for us.
We know we can play for the title
, "he said, suggesting that he would spend his last two seasons with the pros with the LA club before bowing out at the Paris Olympics in 2024, with the 'French team.
"
It's 12:45 a.m. here in Paris and I have to get up at 4 a.m. for my 5 a.m. workout.
I don't care, I can't wait to find this organization that welcomed me when I was at my lowest.
I love you Clipper Nation”, ignites the former player of Le Mans and Nancy, on
.
Two more years on the court
Remember that Nicolas Batum has already announced that he will skip Euro 2022 (September 1-18; Germany, Italy, Georgia and the Czech Republic), like Nando De Colo, the latter coming from elsewhere to reach Asvel... from Batum.
"
I want to play two more years and ideally, it would be: go far with the Clippers, World Cup (2023, editor's note), go far with the Clippers again, then the Paris Olympics and finish my career there.
To chain all this, non-stop, I want to prepare myself as well as possible
“, justified the man with 155 caps and six medals in the national team, including gold at the 2013 European Championship in Slovenia and silver last summer at the Tokyo Olympics.
Unlike Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Ronny Turiaf, Ian Mahinmi, Rodrigue Beaubois and Axel Toupane, he is not part of the French NBA champions club.
Not yet ?
Courted by the Lakers, Chicago, Boston, Phoenix or even Utah, Nicolas Batum is therefore back with the Los Angeles Clippers for $ 22 million over two years, as specified by
Yahoo Sports
.
A sum to which it will be necessary to add what the Hornets, who cut him at the end of the 2019-20 financial year, still owe him.
Le Manceau will indeed receive $ 8.9 million from Charlotte in 2022-23.
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