Joel Embiid and Nic Batum will likely face each other in the Paris Olympics 2024 but they still want to remain teammates as Joel Embiid revealed. Batum will be a free agent this summer, but Embiid want the Sixers to keep the Frenchman around.
As Keith Pompey reported, the Sixers might opt to keep Batum in the roster after his performances in the NBA postseason. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season, and acquired a starting role during the Playoff series vs. New York.
The Sixers fell to the Knicks in six games and they are set to spend big this summer to maximize Joel Embiid window. Not many players of the current roster will be back in Philadelphia next year, but Batum might have won the chance to remain in the roster.
“Right now, my head is focused on the Olympics,” said Batum, referencing his long-standing role with the French national team, via Hoopshype. Embiid wants Batum back, interrupting that postgame 6 question with “you’re coming back to the Sixers.” Nurse, meanwhile, has long appreciated Batum’s defensive versatility.
He also possesses underrated skills, such as post-entry and inbounds passing, to go along with his nearly 40% three-point shooting. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season, while toggling between a starting and reserve role.”
The Sixers are chasing a big splash signing this offseason, but they will need to build around the star power that are going to acquire in the offseason. That said, Batum fits the mold and he might be in to remain in Philadelphia.
Prior to his time in Philly, Batum played for the Hornets and the Clippers, while he has also an 8-year stint in Portland where he started his NBA career.
