76ers Bring Back Tony Battie

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that the team has re-signed free agent center Tony Battie.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.  The Sixers training camp roster now stands at 18.

"We are happy to have Tony back with us," Sixers President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn said. "He will add depth to our frontcourt and his veteran savvy will be invaluable to our locker room."

Battie (6-11, 240) originally signed as a free agent with the Sixers on July 21, 2010.  In 38 games last season, he averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game.  Battie also saw action in all five games of Philadelphia’s First Round playoff series vs. Miami.

In 13 NBA seasons, Battie has appeared in 810 games with 418 starts, averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.87 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game while shooting 49.0% from the floor.  He was the fifth overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft.

With the return of Battie, the Sixers now have 12 players returning from last season’s roster who accounted for 99.5% of the team’s scoring.  The Sixers went 38-28 over the final 66 games in 2010-11