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Forward Nicolas Batum?is back with the Charlotte Hornets.The forward has agreed to a five-year deal worth $120 million, according to ESPN and multiple reports on Friday.Batum had scheduled a Friday meeting with the Dallas Mavericks, but he struck a deal hours into free agency to stay in Charlotte.The Hornets were widely considered the front-runners for Batum because they owned his Bird rights, allowing Charlotte to offer a fifth year on the contract.?The fifth season of the contract is a player option, a source said.Verbal commitments are non-binding. Free agents can officially sign contracts on July 7.The versatile Batum, 27, gradually solidified himself as a superb two-way player in his first six seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. But his seventh saw a major drop-off in production, and Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey shipped him to Charlotte for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson before last season.Playing for Hornets coach Steve Clifford, Batum was reborn, averaging career highs in points (14.9) and assists (5.8). He also grabbed 6.1 rebounds a game for the surprising Hornets, who won 48 games before losing to Miami in seven games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.Batum rediscovered his two-way, do-everything mold in Charlotte, meshing with Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson and Marvin Williams to give the Hornets some energy and edge, pushing them back into the playoffs for the second time in Cliffords three seasons.Batums defense on the wing was a huge part of Charlottes success, and his ability to guard multiple positions helped the Hornets match up against a variety of opponents.As the season came to a close, Batum made no secret of his desire to remain in Charlotte. He was widely viewed as one of the most coveted free agents on the market, the kind of versatile veteran who could make a huge difference on any team he joined.Hornets GM Rich Cho made it clear from the start that the feeling was mutual, and owner Michael Jordan said he would spend the money necessary to help the team continue to build on the momentum of last season.Rather than entertain a number of suitors and mull leaving for another offer, Batum made the decision to stay put about four hours after the market opened.The contract will carry Batum, who turns 28 in December, right through his prime and give the Hornets a much-needed veteran presence to build alongside of the dynamic Walker.With Batum in the fold, the Hornets can now turn their attention to other free-agent matters. Williams, Jefferson?and shooting guard Courtney Lee are all free agents as well, and the Hornets are also in the market for more shooting, depth and toughness to compete in the East.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Josh Tomlin Jersey . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Bob Uecker Braves Jersey . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. https://www.cheapbraves.com/ . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. Eddie Mathews Braves Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Jerry Royster Jersey .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. SHANGHAI -- Rafael Nadal fought as hard as he could to prolong his stay in China, but he came up short in a second-round loss at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.Nadals late-season struggles continued with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) loss to Viktor Troicki, prompting?the Spaniard to contemplate shutting his season down.Also, Andy Murray reached the third round by beating Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2. US Open champion Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic?advanced in straight sets.Nick Kyrgios was booed by the crowd and admonished by the chair umpire for his lack of professionalism during a 6-3, 6-1 loss to German qualifier Mischa Zverev. The Australian floated in 67 mph first serves and argued with a fan.The fourth-seeded Nadal struggled to create depth and pace with his forehand, a problem he attributed to the wrist injury that sidelined him for part of the season.His goal now is to be back in peak condition for the Australiian Open at the start of the new year.ddddddddddddI have two months and a half to put myself at the level that I need to be, Nadal said, and I have the confidence that Im going to do it.In the meantime, however, Nadal has a chance to clinch a spot in the ATP finals -- he currently sits in seventh position for the eight-man field.I cannot say now what Im going do during the next month, Nadal said. Sometimes [to] keep competing is not the solution. Sometimes the solution is practice ... and have a process of training. And maybe thats an opportunity to do it.Other winners in Shanghai included 11th-seeded David Goffin, 13th-seeded Lucas Pouille, Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil. Seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych lost to Marcel Granollers.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '