Nicolas Batum agrees to 5-year, $120M deal to stay with Charlotte Hornets

Free agent forward Nicolas Batum agreed to a five-year, $120 million deal to re-sign with the Charlotte Hornets, according to multiple reports Friday.

The deal reportedly includes a player option on the final season. Free agents can officially sign contracts on July 7 when the the free-agency moratorium is lifted.

Batum, 27, had scheduled a Friday meeting with the Dallas Mavericks but struck a deal hours into free agency to remain in Charlotte.

Batum averaged a career-high 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists with the Hornets last season.

Batum helped the Hornets win 48 games, 15 more than they won the previous season, and return to the playoffs for just the second time in the last six seasons. The Hornets earned the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs before losing to the Miami Heat in seven games in the first round.

The Hornets acquired Batum last summer in a trade with Portland, where he spent his first seven seasons.