[Saba Sports News] The massive news broke overnight that former MVP Harden had been traded to the Clippers in a blockbuster deal.
One of the players included in the return package to the Philadelphia 76ers was veteran Clippers forward Nicolas Batum. In a Monday post, Batum’s wife Lily appeared to criticize the Clippers for the move.
Lily shared a quote from Lauren Holiday, wife of NBA guard Jrue Holiday, about how surprised the Holiday family was when Jrue was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks this summer. Lily then included a GIF of Tupac Shakur saying, ‘Trust nobody.’ Batum had been a model teammate during his time with the Clippers since the 2020-21 season.
He made sacrifices, focused on defense and floor spacing, and even took less money to rejoin the team in the summer of 2022. Batum was known for making crucial threes, handling tough perimeter defensive assignments, and being a valuable veteran presence in the locker room.
At 34 years old, Batum had expressed his intention to retire as a Clipper after the season. However, it’s understandable that the Clippers made the move when a player of Harden’s caliber became available, especially since they didn’t have to part with any of their core players in their twenties, like Terance Mann, Ivica Zubac, or Bones Hyland, to acquire him.
The Clippers had been linked to Harden for months before a deal finally materialized, and including Batum (an $11.7 million expiring contract) was always a likely scenario. Nevertheless, it remains a bitter pill to swallow for a player like Batum, who gave his all to the franchise.”