Hawks Among Teams Eyeing Peyton Watson
The Clippers maintain their previously reported interest in Peyton Watson, while the Hawks have also shown “fresh” interest in the Nuggets‘ restricted free agent forward, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
However, for either team to offer Watson the $25MM+ annual salary he’s reportedly seeking, a sign-and-trade would almost certainly be necessary. And so far, Fischer writes, Denver’s asking price has been too high for either L.A. or Atlanta to seriously consider meeting it.
As Fischer explains, the Nuggets are believed to want a return along the same lines as what the Jazz got from the Lakers for Walker Kessler (two first-round picks and two first-round swaps). Utah also didn’t take back any player salaries in that Kessler sign-and-trade, which could be an important factor for a Denver team navigating the tax aprons. Using Watson’s outgoing salary to take back salary would hard-cap the Nuggets at the second apron.
If the Clippers were to sign-and-trade for Watson, there’s a scenario in which they could fold an agreement into their Kawhi Leonard trade with Toronto, using Leonard’s outgoing salary to offer the Nuggets wing a starting salary worth up to about $23.1MM, as Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) outlined earlier this week. With the Leonard trade on hold for now, L.A. has time to explore that possibility.
As for the Hawks, they don’t have any trade exceptions or pending deals that they could realistically fold Watson into, so they’d likely need to send out a combination such as Corey Kispert and Buddy Hield to make the math work, and it’s unlikely the Nuggets would be interested in taking on either player.
Considering possible trade structures may be moot though, if the Nuggets’ asking price for Watson doesn’t come down. According to Fischer, if the price remains as steep as it has been, the Clippers are expected to shift their focus to re-signing their own restricted free agent, Bennedict Mathurin.
The one team that does have the cap flexibility necessary to sign Watson to an offer sheet without requiring a sign-and-trade is Brooklyn. But Fischer writes that the Nets haven’t been “keen” on going up to $25MM+ per year for the 23-year-old and seem unlikely to aggressively pursue him.
Brooklyn is still trying to figure out whether there’s a way to maximize the club’s cap room before completing its Julius Randle trade with Minnesota, Chicago, and Charlotte, Fischer notes.
Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents
The NBA’s free agent period officially opened less than 40 hours ago, but the list of this year’s top available players has already been pretty picked clean, with 38 of the players from our list of 2026’s top 50 free agents having either officially locked in a new deal or agreed to terms with a team.
Still, several of the free agents who still don’t have a contract agreement in place are ones who ranked at or near the top of our board. Here are the players from our list who remain available:
- Jalen Duren, C (Pistons RFA)
- LeBron James, F
- James Harden, G
- Peyton Watson, F (Nuggets RFA)
- Tari Eason, F (Rockets RFA)
- Draymond Green, F
- Rui Hachimura, F
- Jonathan Kuminga, F
- Anfernee Simons, G
- Bennedict Mathurin, G (Clippers RFA)
- Spencer Jones, F (Nuggets RFA)
- Brandon Williams, G
As we noted within our story on the Lakers’ sign-and-trade agreement for Walker Kessler, that deal is bad news for Duren, who can no longer use the threat of an offer sheet from Los Angeles as leverage in his negotiations with the Pistons. In fact, with Brooklyn and Chicago having also made multiple moves using their cap room, no team is currently in position to put pressure on Detroit with a maximum-salary or near-max offer sheet for Duren.
The Kings and Duren still reportedly have mutual interest, with Sacramento looking to make a sign-and-trade deal involving Domantas Sabonis, but the Pistons are said to have little enthusiasm for that concept — or for a sign-and-trade in general. They’ve indicated that they want to keep the All-NBA big man, and at this point, they appear to have the leverage to wait out the process and hope Duren decides to eventually accept their offer.
While the 22-year-old Duren is the best bet of the remaining free agents to get a lucrative, long-term deal, the 41-year-old James is perhaps the most intriguing name on this list. LeBron is a true free agent, having told the Lakers he won’t re-sign with them and inviting any team with interest to reach out.
The Warriors, Cavaliers, and Heat have long been viewed as the most logical non-Los Angeles landing spots for the 22-time All-Star, but teams like the Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Sixers have also registered their interest, and the word is that James will be prioritizing his “happiness” and an ability to contend for a championship over money.
In contrast to James, whose destination seems truly up in the air, Harden and Green are considered very likely to re-sign with the Cavaliers and Warriors, respectively. In fact, their eventual contract structures may hinge in large part on LeBron’s decision. If James chooses Cleveland or Golden State, Harden or Green may be prepared to negotiate their own contracts accordingly to help create enough room under a hard cap or an apron threshold.
Since Watson, Eason, Mathurin, and Jones are all restricted free agents, it’s possible the process will drag out for some of them. All indications are that the Nuggets want to re-sign Watson and have explored trading one of their higher-paid players to help create the spending flexibility to do it. The Rockets likewise have prioritized bringing back Eason and should have enough room under their second-apron hard cap to match any rival offer. We haven’t heard as much about Mathurin or Jones to this point, though the latter did briefly address his contract negotiations in a LinkedIn post.
A pair of potential frontrunners for Hachimura came off the board when San Antonio reached a deal with Tobias Harris to fill its hole at power forward and Detroit decided to add John Collins as its stretch four. The Nets are another team that has been cited as having interest in Hachimura, though it’s unclear how their agreement with Moritz Wagner, another floor-spacing frontcourt player, will impact their plans.
While there hasn’t been a ton of chatter about Simons or Williams since free agency officially began on Tuesday, Kuminga was the subject of an intriguing rumor late on Wednesday night, when a report from The Athletic indicated that he’s on the Lakers‘ radar. In order to offer the young forward more than the veteran’s minimum, Los Angeles would have to work out a sign-and-trade with Atlanta, his former team.
Khris Middleton, Russell Westbrook, Bruce Brown, Josh Okogie, Matisse Thybulle, Gary Trent Jr., Ziaire Williams, Kevon Looney, and Bradley Beal are among the other notable veteran free agents still on the board.
All of the free agent deals agreed upon so far can be found within our 2026 free agent tracker. The full list of free agents still available can be found right here (or here, if you prefer to sort by team rather than by position/type).
Clippers Make Mathurin, Miller, Sanders RFAs
The Clippers have tendered a qualifying offer to guard Bennedict Mathurin, making him a restricted free agent, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
According to Murray, the Clippers have also given qualifying offers to wings Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders, who will be restricted free agents too. Both Miller and Sanders had 2026/27 team options on their contracts, so the team is declining those options and the plan is to sign both players to multiyear contracts, Murray adds (via Twitter).
Mathurin, 24, was the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft and spent his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Pacers before sent from Indiana to L.A. in the Ivica Zubac trade in February.
Playing a career-high 30.0 minutes per game in 54 total outings for an injury-plagued Pacers squad and a retooling Clippers team, Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per night, but his field goal percentage (43.0%) and three-point mark (31.5%) represented career lows. He made just 17-of-82 threes (20.7%) as a Clipper.
Miller, the Clippers’ second-round pick in 2023, played sparingly during his first two NBA seasons, but he emerged as a reliable rotation player in 2025/26, averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .531/.345/.777 shooting in 60 games (22.1 MPG). He was promoted from a two-way contract to a standard deal in February.
Sanders, the 50th overall pick in 2025, had an impressive rookie year in which he averaged 7.3 PPG in 19.9 MPG with a shooting line of .466/.408/.826. Like Miller, Sanders was elevated from a two-way contract to the 15-man roster in February.
A report last week suggested that the Clippers had mulled the possibility of renouncing several free agents, including Mathurin, in order to operate as a cap-space team. It doesn’t look like that’s the plan for now, though the club does have the ability to withdraw any of these qualifying offers on or before July 13 if they haven’t been accepted by then.
Mathurin’s qualifying offer will be worth $8.77MM, while Miller’s projects to come around $2.74MM and Sanders’ will be roughly $2.39MM. The exact value of Miller’s and Sanders’ QO will depend on where the 2026/27 salary cap ends up.
Those offers will give the Clippers the right of first refusal if another team signs any of those players to an offer sheet.
Raptors Interested In Reunion With Kawhi Leonard?
The Raptors, who continue to kick the tires on star trade candidates, have explored deals for Trae Young, Domantas Sabonis, Jaren Jackson Jr., and – most recently – LaMelo Ball within the past year, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While Toronto has focused mostly on point guards and centers in its quest to acquire another impact player to pair with forward Scottie Barnes, the Raptors are open to a wide variety of potential targets. One option they’ve looked into, according to Fischer, is a possible reunion with Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
The Clippers’ preference this offseason is to hang onto Leonard, Fischer acknowledges, with team owner Steve Ballmer having reportedly opposed the idea of trading him at the in-season deadline when the Warriors and other clubs expressed interest. And Leonard, who left Toronto for his hometown of Los Angeles after winning a title with the Raptors in 2019, is believed to prefer to remain in Southern California too.
However, with the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers’ and Leonard’s dealings with the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration still up in the air and Kawhi entering the final year of his current contract with the team, it’s not a certainty that he’ll stay in L.A. long-term. The two sides will have to work out a contract extension to keep the star forward off the 2027 free agent market, and it remains to be seen whether the Clippers are willing to keep paying $50MM+ annually for a player who will turn 35 next Monday.
If the Clippers do explore trade scenarios involving Leonard, he could exert some leverage in the process based on which teams he’s willing to sign extensions with. Sources tell Fischer that Leonard wouldn’t be interested in signing long-term with teams like the Pistons and Heat. In fact, Fischer hears that the only two clubs the two-time Finals MVP would be open to extending with are the Raptors and Spurs.
Fischer’s reporting aligns with comments made by ESPN’s Bobby Marks during Wednesday’s draft broadcast. Asked about possible trade suitors for Leonard, Marks referenced Kawhi’s “former teams” (Twitter video link).
It’s unclear if the Spurs, who are coming off an NBA Finals appearance and are building around their young core, would be open to reuniting with Leonard, but the Raptors have “genuine interest” in the possibility, Fischer insists.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link) is more skeptical, noting that the Raptors felt during Leonard’s 2019 free agency like they were being used for leverage when he wanted Los Angeles all along.
The Clippers also believe they still have various paths to improve their roster around Leonard, according to Fischer, who says the team has mulled the possibility of renouncing free agents Bennedict Mathurin and John Collins to open up cap room, though it’s too early to say whether L.A. will go that route.
If the Raptors make a play for Leonard or another highly paid player, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, and RJ Barrett are among the players believed to be available, per Fischer. Quickley and Poeltl would likely be viewed as negative trade assets due to their sizable long-term contracts, but Barrett is on a fair expiring deal ($29.6MM) and Brandon Ingram (two years, $81.9MM) may also hold appeal to potential trade partners.
According to Fischer, Toronto has also been trying to find a new home for former lottery pick Gradey Dick, who is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract and will earn $7.1MM in 2026/27.
Pacific Notes: Williams, Kings, Draymond, Clippers
Will the Suns re-sign Mark Williams as a restricted free agent this summer? Gerald Bourguet of Sports360AZ.com tackles that question in depth, writing that he can envision a scenario in which Phoenix’s starting center departs this offseason, especially if another team is willing to pay him in the range of $20-25MM annually.
However, if there’s not much of a market for Williams, it’s more likely he’ll either work out a new multiyear deal with the Suns or accept his one-year, $9.6MM qualifying offer and try his luck in unrestricted free agency in 2027.
[RELATED: 2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Phoenix Suns]
As Bourguet writes, the fact that 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach projects to be the Suns’ center of the future figures to factor into the front office’s decision on Williams. While Maluach may not be ready to start on opening night in 2026/27, one source told Bourguet they believe last year’s No. 10 overall pick could overtake Williams for that role by the end of next season. If the Suns feel the same way, they may only view Williams as a “temporary stopgap,” Bourguet notes.
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, Louisville guard Isaac McKneely, Grand Canyon forward Jaden Henley, Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall, Xavier forward Tre Carroll, and Duke center Maliq Brown are taking part in a pre-draft workout with the Kings on Friday, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link). None of those prospects shows up within the top 70 players on ESPN’s big board.
- Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area takes a closer look at what the offseason might hold for Draymond Green, whose value around the NBA appears to be on the decline as he weighs a decision on a player option worth $27.7MM. Green seems more likely than not to stick with the Warriors, Poole writes, though it remains to be seen whether that means opting in or negotiating a new contract with the team.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a look at some of the key decisions facing the Clippers this summer, including whether to trade or potentially extend star forward Kawhi Leonard and whether or not to re-sign potential restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin. Smith views $50MM over three years as a reasonable deal for Mathurin.
Draft Notes: Pacers, Wizards, Mock Drafts, Jazz, Grizzlies, More
Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard released a statement (via Twitter) after the team’s top-four protected first-round pick landed at No. 5 and conveyed to the Clippers. Indiana also sent Los Angeles its unprotected 2029 first-rounder, Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and a 2028 second-round pick (via Dallas) in exchange for 2024/25 All-Defensive center Ivica Zubac.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk,” Pritchard wrote. “Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember – this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”
While the Pacers lost their coin flip, the Wizards landed the No. 1 overall selection, becoming the first team to win the lottery with after finishing with the worst record in the league since the NBA flattened the lottery odds in 2019. Jeremy Woo of ESPN and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports have updated their 2026 mock drafts after the lottery results, with identical top fives: AJ Dybantsa to Washington, followed by Darryn Peterson (Jazz), Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies), Caleb Wilson (Bulls) and Keaton Wagler (Clippers).
Here are a few more notes about the 2026 NBA draft:
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link) has an identical three through five, but he has Peterson going No. 1 and Dybantsa No. 2. While the Wizards will undoubtedly perform their due diligence, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com suggests (via Twitter) the Jazz would be thrilled if they’re able to select Peterson, whom Keyonte George and other members of the team congratulated. According to Wallace, many people around the league think the Grizzlies will be making a “tough choice” between Boozer and Wilson.
- The mock drafts from ESPN and Yahoo Sports have 13 overlapping players in the 14-team lottery, but there are some differences in where they’re selected. For example, O’Connor has the Hawks selecting Michigan center Aday Mara eighth overall, while Woo has the Spanish big man going 14th to the Hornets. Among the overlapping picks: Tennessee forward Nate Ament to the Bucks (No. 10), Mexican forward Karim Lopez to the Warriors (No. 11), and Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg to the Thunder (No. 12).
- In addition to Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue) and Jacob Cofie (USC), who were previously mentioned as G League combine standouts, Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) hears from NBA scouts and executives who said Aiden Tobiason (Temple), Rafael Castro (George Washington), Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee State) and Nate Bittle (Oregon) helped themselves on Day 1 of scrimmages.
Clippers Notes: Kawhi, Lue, Investigation, Garland, Offseason
A couple days after Kawhi Leonard declined to discuss his future, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank reaffirmed the Clippers‘ commitment to the star forward, writes Kris Rhim of ESPN.com.
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank said. “We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”
The two-time Finals MVP is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27. He’ll be eligible this offseason to sign a two-year extension.
As Rhim notes, the Clippers made a couple major trades ahead of the February deadline, sending James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and Ivica Zubac to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and two first-round picks. Frank thinks those moves put the team in a better position to contend in the future.
“I think we do have great hope and optimism with our future,” he said. “Because as we build that bridge from competitive to contender, we’ve put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward.”
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Law Murray of The Athletic passes along several more quotes from Frank’s 45-minute press conference. The longtime executive confirmed head coach Tyronn Lue, who is under contract until 2029, isn’t going anywhere, as Murray previously reported. “I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job of, every day, showing up with a great spirit, and just kept at it,” Frank said. “Ty’s an incredible coach, an incredible partner. And one of the characteristics we look for, not just in staff, but also in players, are people who are driven to improve. And all of us, you know, are very much driven to improvement.”
- Frank also doubled down on comments he made at the beginning of 2025/26, expressing confidence that the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration won’t result in a significant punishment for the franchise. “If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve’s integrity, you know there’s nothing to it,” Frank said. “And I can’t comment on the investigation, but I will stand by what I said up here back in September, October, whenever it was, that, you know, we believe and we’re very confident we’re on the right side of this.”
- Frank said he’d like to see Garland focus on adding strength to his frame in addition to getting healthy after dealing with a nagging toe injury for most of the last year, Murray writes. “The offseason is the time where you can make great gains with your body,” Frank said. “And I think when you look at the — in this league — smaller guards who have been able to excel, it’s the strength part of it.”
- Frank said the team needs to improve its rebounding, secondary ball-handling, and shooting, according to Murray, who points out that Frank made similar comments last year.
- Determining Leonard’s future, finding a workable contract with Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent, and looking for a new starting center should be the Clips’ top three priorities entering the offseason, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Clippers Notes: Lue, Garland, Kawhi, Offseason, CP3
The Clippers have registered an NBA-best 15 consecutive winning seasons, but they’ve gone five straight years without winning a playoff series and, after Wednesday’s loss to Golden State, have now failed to make it out of the play-in tournament twice during those five years, writes Law Murray of The Athletic.
Following an unceremonious end to a turbulent season, the Clippers’ next steps are unclear. A league source tells Murray that head coach Tyronn Lue – under contract through 2029 – isn’t going anywhere this offseason, and neither is the team’s new point guard of the present and future, Darius Garland. But beyond that, everything is in flux.
Kawhi Leonard‘s future, which he declined to discuss after Wednesday’s loss, is the biggest question mark hanging over the franchise. A league source tells Murray that the Clippers don’t believe the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration will result in a significant punishment for the franchise — or in the star forward’s contract being voided. But even if that’s the case, Leonard will have to be traded or extended in order to avoid having him play out an expiring contract in 2026/27.
And beyond Leonard, there are several decisions facing the Clippers up and down their roster. John Collins, whom Murray describes as a good locker room fit, will be an unrestricted free agent, while newcomer Bennedict Mathurin is entering restricted free agency. The team holds options on Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nicolas Batum, Jordan Miller, and Kobe Sanders, while defensive aces Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. will be eligible for extensions.
As the Clippers prepare for an eventful offseason, here are a few notes on the club:
- Garland, who underwent surgery on his left big toe last offseason and sprained his right big toe earlier in the season, said on Wednesday that he has been playing on “nine toes,” per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Garland explained, the right toe feels fine now, but the left one has remained an issue. The guard’s goal this offseason is to “get healthy.”
- Previewing the Clippers’ summer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests that adding frontcourt help and acquiring a play-maker to back up Garland should be priorities for the club. Marks also points out that operating as an under-the-cap team is a possibility, though it would require L.A. to part ways with several role players, so operating above the cap seems more likely. The Clippers should have more than enough flexibility to re-sign Mathurin and use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception if Collins isn’t re-signed, Marks adds.
- Over four months after the Clippers announced they were parting ways with him, Chris Paul wasn’t shedding any tears when their season ended on Wednesday. As Murray notes (via Twitter), the veteran point guard posted the “I stopped by one of my biggest hater’s funeral” meme on his Instagram account shortly after L.A. was eliminated.
Free Agent Stock Watch: L.A. Clippers
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents – or could become free agents – during the 2026 offseason. We’ll consider whether each player’s stock is rising or falling due to his performance and several other factors.
Today, we’re focusing on a handful of players on the Clippers, who have 10 potential free agents this summer, tied for the second-most in the NBA.
Pacers Notes: Jones, Sheppard, Mathurin, I. Jackson, Walker
Kam Jones‘ contract for next season is only 50% guaranteed, prompting Forbes contributor Tony East to consider what the Pacers might do with the rookie guard this offseason. East suggests that pushing back Jones’ guarantee date from June 30 to sometime in July, allowing him to play for Indiana’s Summer League team, is one option the two sides could explore.
The 38th overall pick of last year’s draft, Jones’ NBA debut was delayed until late December due to a back injury, and he has been in and out of the rotation the past few months, East notes. While the former Marquette standout is technically under contract through 2028/29, the final two seasons are fully non-guaranteed.
Jones’ future with the Pacers could be tied to whether or not the team keeps its top-four protected pick in the upcoming draft, East observes, since Indiana doesn’t have many roster spots available. Keeping Jones or waiving him and using the stretch provision to spread his 2026/27 cap hit over multiple seasons are among the other options for the Pacers, East adds.
Here’s more from Indiana:
- Third-year guard Ben Sheppard will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. After a slow start to the season amid a wave of backcourt injuries, Sheppard has found his footing since he returned from a calf strain in late December, showing growth on the offensive end while taking on difficult defensive assignments, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). “I’ve been able to experiment within my game and my comfort level this season,” Sheppard said. “Just all the moving pieces, people coming in and out, offensive rhythm has been kinda off, but with all my coaches in my corner and my teammates in my corner just trying to be more aggressive and take my opportunities as they come. I feel like I’ve been finding my shot a lot of different ways that I haven’t gotten last year or the year before. Just creating a little bit more and just looking at the rim more.”
- In a story for his website Circle City Spin, East takes an inside look at the returns of Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, who faced the Pacers in Indianapolis on Friday night for the first time since they were traded to the Clippers ahead of the February deadline. The former first-round picks received a tribute video and a warm reception from fans during the first stoppage in play, which Mathurin appreciated. “It meant the world. Indy is like my first home. I was able to get drafted over here. Just being loved by the fans,” Mathurin said. “I love the fans. I would say that they were the best fans in the world. Now, we have a different group of fans. It’s all love.” Head coach Rick Carlisle called the moment “heartwarming” and said he was happy both players have played well for Los Angeles, per East. “We just weren’t going to be able to make it work with Benn contractually,” Carlisle said of Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent in a few months (Twitter link via East).
- Jarace Walker suffered a head injury in the first quarter of Friday’s contest and was later ruled out for the remainder of the one-point loss because he was being evaluating for a concussion (Twitter link). Carlisle didn’t have much of an update on the third-year forward afterward, according to East. “I don’t know that he’s going to be in concussion protocol… we’ll see what’s what on Sunday,” Carlisle said.