Report: Batum returns to Clippers on 2-year contract

The Los Angeles Clippers are bringing back veteran forward Nicolas Batum on a two-year contract, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The second year of the deal is a player option, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reports.

Batum's career appeared to be heading toward an abrupt conclusion after the Charlotte Hornets stretched the final year of his previous deal, eating nearly $27 million in dead salary. The Clippers extended the Frenchman a lifeline in the form of a one-year, veteran's minimum contract.

The 32-year-old rewarded his new team's trust with 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and a steal in 27.4 minutes per game, supporting the Clippers' first-ever run to the conference finals.