Luc Mbah a Moute returns to Clippers on one-year deal

He’s baaaaaaaaaack.

Luc Mbah a Moute, who averaged nearly 20 minutes per game over two seasons with the Clippers before heading to the Houston Rockets, has agreed to return to Los Angeles.

The team has signed free-agent forward @mbahamoute.

✍️ | https://t.co/xyVHx6JOog pic.twitter.com/g0qTdItc8u

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) July 19, 2018

Mbah a Moute has been a defensive stalwart throughout his 10-year career, averaging nearly a steal per game throughout his tenure in the league and eclipsing that mark three of the past four seasons. The native of Cameroon spent the 2015-16 and 16-17 seasons with the Clips before signing with the Rockets as a free agent prior to this past season. The former UCLA standout started a career-high 76 games in his final year in Los Angeles before transitioning back to a role player off the bench during Houston’s campaign to the Western Conference Finals.

“Luc is the ultimate professional,” said president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “He is a very smart player and an outstanding defender who leads by example and provides a strong cultural presence in the locker room. Luc is a class act that we welcome back to the Clippers.”

The 31-year-old reportedly signed a one-year, $4.3 million deal.

Mbah A Moute will sign for $4.3M, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/SfHAWntNlH

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 9, 2018

A native of Cameroon, Mbah a Moute was selected 37th overall by Milwaukee in the 2008 NBA Draft after three seasons at UCLA, where he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and a member of the Pac-10 All-Freshman team in 2006.