By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Nicolas Batum’s presence with the Philadelphia 76ers in his debut season with the team apparently made the organization eager to keep the French wing on board for the next year.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Batum is one of the Sixers‘ free agents that the club “would like to re-sign” in the upcoming offseason. Kyle Lowry and Kelly Oubr Jr. are also on this list.
Batum’s impact as a veteran and defensive contribution has been appreciated by the Sixers that want to utilize his experience to help them reach the team’s championship goals. The 35-year-old player is also well-liked by his teammates, like superstar Joel Embiid.
As the Inquirer mentions, Embiid told Batum, “You’re coming back to the Sixers,” after Philadelphia’s loss to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the first-round playoff series, when the season ended for their team.
Batum stepped up big time for the Sixers in the Play-In, when he scored a season-high 20 points (on six threes) and blocked Tyler Herro’s game-tying attempt against the Miami Heat as his team clinched a spot in the playoffs.
A veteran of 16 seasons in the NBA, Batum previously played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers before arriving at Philadelphia as a part of the James Harden trade back in November.