Having added the likes of Paul George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond and more to their roster over the course of the offseason, there is not much more that the Philadelphia 76ers could ask for right now.
This is the strongest the 76ers have looked in years. They are being considered genuine Championship contenders going into the 2024-25 season and understandably so.
The 76ers were successful in not only adding to their roster this summer but also in keeping their core together. One player that they will miss next season though is Nicolas Batum.
Batum had arrived in Philadelphia last year as part of the trade deal that saw James Harden move to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Batum proved to be an excellent fit for the 76ers, not just for his ability on the court but as a veteran leader as well. Losing him this summer is certainly a blow for Nick Nurse’s team.
It is believed that Batum considered the idea of staying in the City of Brotherly Love before ultimately deciding on returning to the Clippers this summer.
In the Bleacher Report article ‘1 ‘Realistic’ Dream Trade Target for Every NBA Team’, Batum has been the player suggested when it comes to the 76ers. Eric Pincus wrote: “The one player who seemed circumstantial was Martin, who Philadelphia re-signed with his rights to a short $16 million deal (second season non-guaranteed). It’s difficult to say who they’d target, but the 76ers may miss Nicolas Batum, an important playoff contributor. The Clippers may not want Martin back (they originally sent him to Philadelphia), but Batum would help round out the Sixers’ forward rotation.”
It would be interesting to see if Batum ends up swapping Los Angeles for Philadelphia once again this season. The 35-year-old’s chances of winning a ring would certainly be much higher with the new-look Sixers than they currently are as part of the Clippers.
