Clippers bring back Batum, sign Porter Jr.

Nicolas Batum is returning to the Los Angeles Clippers, who announced the signings of the veteran forward along with forward Derrick Jones Jr. and guard Kevin Porter Jr. on Wednesday.

Batum appeared in 60 games last season, splitting his time between the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists and was part of the trade that brought James Harden to the Clippers. Harden, a free agent, received a two-year deal with a player option, and the Clippers confirmed Wednesday that he is staying with the team.

The 35-year-old Batum, one of seven active NBA players with at least 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 1,500 three-pointers, expressed reluctance to leave the Clippers, attributing his career revival to coach Tyronn Lue.

“It’s hard to find a better connector with a higher IQ than Nico,” said Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations. “We didn’t want to lose him last year, and we felt his absence. He plays the game the right way, which our fans appreciate, and so do we. We’re thrilled to welcome back the battalion.”

Derrick Jones Jr. averaged a career-high 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and one assist in 76 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season. He also started in 22 playoff games, averaging 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, as the Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Jones, 27, has previously played for Phoenix, Miami, Portland, and Chicago and won the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk contest.

Kevin Porter Jr. faced challenges early in his career, including an offseason weapons charge in 2020 (later dropped) and a trade from Cleveland to Houston. In 2023, he faced felony counts of assault and strangulation after an altercation with a former girlfriend in New York, resulting in a trade to Oklahoma City. The Thunder waived him immediately, and he played overseas last season. Porter reached a plea deal on a misdemeanor reckless assault charge in January, requiring him to complete a court-ordered program to have his plea changed to not guilty with no criminal record.

In Greece, Porter averaged 22 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.8 steals. The 24-year-old Seattle native played collegiately at Southern California before being drafted 30th overall in 2019. Porter has appeared in 196 NBA games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets, averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals.