Nicolas Batum slams door on potential free agency return to Philadelphia 76ers

Despite Joel Embiid’s campaigning for his return and the great things he’s said about Philadelphia, fan favorite, veteran forward Nicolas Batum will not return to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.

Nicolas Batum will not be returning to the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) June 30, 2024

With Nicolas Batum turning 36 years old next season, him retiring is certainly in the realm of possibility. However, with the wording of Iko’s report, it seems that Batum is simply looking to move on from the 76ers, which is a surprise considering how great of a fit he was, especially next to Joel Embiid.

Nicolas Batum’s 76ers tenure in retrospect

Nicolas Batum joined the 76ers as a part of the Los Angeles Clippers’ trade package for James Harden early in the 2023-2024 season.

There was speculation that Batum would move towards retirement after getting traded from Los Angeles but the veteran grew to love the city of Philadelphia and became a key part of the 76ers’ rotation.

Starting in 38 of his 57 games in Philadelphia, Nicolas Batum flourished as a “3&D” forward as his iconic no-dip spot-up corner three did wonders for the 76ers’ front-court spacing as Batum knocked down countless amounts of corner triples feeding off of Joel Embiid’s paint gravity.

Batum served as a quality point-of-attack and help defender and delivered instinctive connective passes to the open man.

Nicolas Batum’s greatest performance as a 76er came during Philadelphia’s vital Play-In Tournament game against the Miami Heat where Batum’s sizzling three-point shooting (6-10 from three) helped Philadelphia overcome a double-digit deficit and advance to the playoffs.

Thank you for your service Nico Batum🫡

🎥: (@sixers) pic.twitter.com/RmSb7vflCB

— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) June 30, 2024

Nicolas Batum averaged 5.3 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game on 39.9% shooting from three (3.1 nightly attempts) during his short-lived 76ers tenure.

Paul George joining the 76ers is reportedly a real possibility and with George’s max salary likely to take up most of Philadelphia’s cap space, Nicolas Batum returning on a veteran minimum contract and starting at power forward seemed ideal. The 76ers will now have to explore other options as they look to fill out their roster.

Mandatory Credit: Copyright 2024 (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)