Clippers Sign Key 76ers Free Agent After Paul George’s Exit

After losing All-Star forward Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers to start free agency, the Los Angeles Clippers have gone on a spending spree to piecemeal their forward depth to make up for the loss of George.

The Clippers reportedly signed former Dallas Mavericks wing Derrick Jones Jr. to a three-year, $30 million deal Sunday night for starters. However, Los Angeles cannot depend on Jones Jr. as their best forward option heading into next season.

Therefore, the Clippers decided to re-sign one of their key members, who was on the team to start the season but traded for James Harden. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that Los Angeles signed Nicolas Batum to a two-year, $9.6 million contract.

The 35-year-old Batum returns to the Clippers after spending most of the 2023-24 season with the Sixers. The veteran forward posted 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game. He also shot 45.6 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Clippers won’t have to do much to get Batum back into the swing of things as he spent the previous four seasons with the organization. However, with George on his way to Philly, Batum could likely have a bigger role based on the Clippers’ current situation at forward.

Los Angeles won’t be able to find a perfect fit at the forward spot, but they are doing their best to field the best team around the duo of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

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