NBA News Roundup: LA Clippers sign Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson, Joakim Noah headed towards retirement after being waived
The LA Clippers haven't had the most compelling offseason leading up to the start of the 2020-21 NBA season. If you were disappointed by their activity in the free agency market, today's NBA news roundup will cheer you up a bit. As per The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Western Conference outfit has signed veteran wing Nicolas Batum.
Batum is nowhere near his prime and has, in fact, endured a tough couple of seasons with the Charlotte Hornets before getting waived last week. However, we've seen several players benefiting immensely from a change of scenery and that could be the case for the Frenchman as well. On paper, he'll offer three-point shooting, defense, and positional versatility to the LA Clippers.
NBA News Roundup: LA Clippers re-sign point guard Reggie Jackson
As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the LA Clippers have re-signed backup point guard Reggie Jackson to a one-year deal.
They acquired Reggie Jackson back in February this year after he reached a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons. Jackson played an important role for former head coach Doc Rivers' side by averaging 9.5 points a game on over 40% shooting from downtown.
As is evident from the tweet above, the 30-year-old could see his role expand. Jackson could end up playing much more than the 20 odd minutes he was allotted during the regular season by the LA Clippers in 2019-20.
NBA News Roundup: Joakim Noah headed for retirement after being waived by LA Clippers
Former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah has been waived by the LA Clippers and could hang up his boots, as reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Noah has endured a tough run in the NBA since 2015 so it was rather surprising that the Clippers signed him back in March in the first place.
However, this doesn't change the fact that Noah did have an amazing run with the Chicago Bulls. He was amongst the best defenders in the NBA during the early 2010s. Noah's agent Bill Duffy remembered his illustrious career, thereby sparking speculation of retirement. Duffy added:
"What an illustrious career for Joakim, starting with two national titles at the University of Florida, to becoming an NBA Defensive Player of the Year and ultimately evolving into one of the most passionate, spirited players to ever come through our sport. It's been my honor to represent Joakim through his journey."
We wish Joakim Noah a happy retirement if he indeed is headed in that direction.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors - 3 point guards that the LA Clippers can acquire using Lou Williams as an asset