The Philadelphia 76ers landed the veteran wing Nicolas Batum in the blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, which featured the disgruntled ten-time All-Star James Harden.
Ever since the Sixers acquired four players from the Clippers, including Batum, most of the new additions have suited up and debuted for Philadelphia.
Batum, however, has yet to step foot on the court for the Sixers.
Although he arrived in Camden, New Jersey, last Wednesday to pass his physical in order to help the Sixers and the Clippers finalize the trade, Batum did not anticipate being around the team on Thursday to face the Toronto Raptors.
Robert Covington and KJ Martin suited up while Marcus Morris was on the bench in street clothes. Batum was away from the team and ruled out due to “personal reasons.”
When the Sixers held practice on Friday morning, Batum was once again not with the team, according to head coach Nick Nurse. Shortly after, it was once again revealed that Batum would not make his debut when the Sixers took on the Phoenix Suns on Saturday afternoon.
According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Batum has “returned” to Philadelphia after dealing with his personal matter. If all goes as expected, Batum should be available for his debut on Monday night against the Washington Wizards.
This season, Batum has appeared in three games for the Los Angeles Clippers. Averaging 18 minutes off the bench, he’s put up three points per game while shooting 38 percent from the field. While he’s off to a slow start, Batum could be a key contributor off the Sixers’ bench later on down the line.
First, the veteran needs to get comfortable with the system, as he has yet to participate in a practice session since the trade went down earlier this week.
More must-reads: