Hornets' Nicolas Batum: Re-ups with Charlotte for five years

Batum agreed to Friday to re-sign with the Hornets on a five-year, $120 million contract, Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Analysis:

Though he battled lower-body injuries for much of the second half of the 2015-16 campaign, Batum's first season with the Hornets was an unquestionable success, as he averaged a career-high 14.9 points while chipping in 6.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.9 three-pointers and 0.9 steals per game in 70 appearances. The two-way swingman attracted interest as a free agent from several clubs, but the Hornets made bringing back Batum a top priority, and were able to submit a long-term commitment quickly. With the 27-year-old back in the fold and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (shoulder) expected to be healthy before the start of the upcoming season, the Hornets should boast one of the league's best defensive combinations on the wing, allowing leading scorer Kemba Walker to focus most of his efforts on the offensive end.