Batum obviously isn't at his defensive peak anymore, but he's still a highly impactful and versatile player at that end of the floor, too. The Sixers used Batum to defend ball-handling guards, wings, and even as a small-ball center/helper at the rim, and he delivered against all positions. He still has enough lateral quickness and physicality to hang with many smaller players, with the length to bother them and compete with forwards and some bigs. His timing and instincts of when to contests shots frequently helped him deter opponents either at the perimeter or attacking the paint. His solid rebounding was helpful, too.

Unlike certain highly paid forwards who’ve been on the team in recent years, Batum consistently made a positive impact on games even when he wasn’t scoring.

Like Tyrese Maxey highlighted after the Sixers’ play-in win against the Heat, the team really appreciates Batum’s versatility.

“He’s guarded from the small guys in the NBA like Trae Young to the tallest man in the NBA in Wemby,” Maxey said. “Let’s really think about that. His defensive versatility is second to none. Tonight he guarded [Tyler] Herro, he guarded [Jimmy] Butler, he guarded Bam Adebayo at times. What he’s done for this team, it’s been remarkable. We appreciate him.”

Batum made some key plays in the postseason, too. As the Sixers eliminated the Heat in that play-in matchup, we witnessed what will be remembered as The Nico Batum Game. He was terrific at both ends of the floor, turning the game around when the Sixers needed it to secure their first-round series against New York.

Blocking a last-ditch Herro three-pointer to seal the deal was a fitting end to all Batum did that night.

Against the Knicks, Batum came up with some more big moments, with some sharp shooting (like his 16 points and three triples in Game 6) and important defensive plays. Most memorably, there’s his clutch block on Jalen Brunson to ensure Game 5 went to overtime.

Put all this together, and Batum ticked just about every box you could’ve hoped for last season.

So, what's next?

Batum is 35 years old now, ready to hit free agency, and clearly has more good basketball left in him that could help various teams around the league. If he wants to continue his career, he could still start for this Sixers team (and others), or at least be a high-end bench player for 20-ish minutes a night.

Fortunately for Philly, it looks like there’s a good chance a return is possible. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, “the Sixers feel like they will be able to work something out with [Batum] in free agency. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward didn’t expect to like Philadelphia, but ended up loving it here.”

Per Pompey, Batum — along with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry — is one of the pending free agents the team would most like to re-sign. There’s no doubt this should be the case.

Oubre — who’s seven years younger than Batum with far more athleticism and much higher scoring production — is clearly going to command a lot more in free agency. While re-signing Batum for the minimum (a little over $3.3 million for a player with 10+ years experience) would be a dream scenario for the Sixers, Batum is quite frankly worth more than that. He isn’t a minimum-caliber player. At this late stage of his career, though, with some injury issues in his past, it might not be too surprising for him to sign something fairly close to it. Whether the Sixers have to spend an extra million or two, or use some of their mid-level exception.

Considering Batum’s great fit and positive impact all season, his fondness for the team, and the promising reporting about the two sides working out a new deal, it looks like there’s a pretty good chance Batum stays in Philadelphia. The Sixers should certainly do all they realistically can to make it happen.