Finally, forward Batum returned to the Clippers, but George was gone.
According to a report by ESPN's well-known reporter Woj, forward Batum will sign a two-year, $9.6 million contract with the Clippers and return to the team he has played for.
Looking back, the Clippers chose to trade Batum and others to Philadelphia in order to get Harden, the core guard, and the team lost a good small-ball interior lineman, especially the No. 4 position, which has been unavailable since then. So much so that many times, George and Leonard have to be put in the No. 4 position, to defend the interior line of their body size and height a circle larger, and their physical strength and energy are consumed greatly in hand-to-hand combat, which is one of the major reasons why George complained before. Before leaving the Clippers, George had said that he missed Batum and Covington, and the loss of both would put him under a lot of pressure on the interior defense.
In the 23-24 season, Batum played 57 regular season games for the 76ers, averaging 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 three-pointers per game, shooting 39.9% from three-point range. In the playoffs, Batum averaged 6.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 three-pointers per game, shooting 40.9% from three-point range. It's fair to say that this is a consistent outside shooter with height, size, and projection, comparable to Otto Porter, who used to play for the Warriors, and is the 3-and-D puzzle piece of a championship team's dream — scoring and defending.
Come to think of it, George complained that the Clippers didn't have a qualified No. 4 spot, and Batum would be his troubles. Now that the veteran is back, George is already in Philadelphia, and it is a little difficult for fans to accept as if he has swapped owners with Batum.
George personally prefers to stay with the Clippers to play, after all, his family is used to living in Los Angeles, according to the revelations of Woj, the Clippers are willing to offer George a three-year contract, and it does not include a trade veto, so the conditions seem to touch George's scales, so he is so determined to leave here. Then, the 76ers offered him a four-year, $212 million super-cap contract, and he formed a super-big three with Maxey and Embiid.
Now the Clippers only have the dual-core structure of Harden and Leonard, as well as teammates such as Mann, Powell, and Zubac, but there are also veterans like Batum to join, and I think I also have feelings for this place.
Drafted by the Rockets with the 25th pick in the first round in 2008, Batum is about to enter the 17th season of his career, and now he is a 35-year-old veteran, but he is still an extremely consistent outside shooter, averaging more than one three-pointer per game. With his presence, the Clippers can field a starting lineup such as Harden, Mann, Leonard, Batum, and Zubac, and Powell, Jones Jr., Westbrook, Hyland, Tucker, and Coffey on the bench, and this team still has the strength to make the playoffs, provided that Leonard remains healthy.
In this way, the Clippers will once again usher in a better solution for the No. 4 position; As long as the team plays the key moment, they can replace Zubac and replace it with the extreme five-space lineup of Powell or Jones Jr., and they can also compete with their opponents.