If Bennedict Mathurin winds up leaving the LA Clippers in a sign-and-trade, Tyronn Lue suddenly has a real hole to patch in the second unit. The sixth-man spot would be open, and the free-agent market doesn’t exactly overflow with clean answers. Still, one name jumps out: Brandon Williams.
Williams, a four-year NBA veteran, looks like the kind of guard who could slide into that role without forcing the Clippers to reinvent anything. He’s 26, which lines up with the team’s push toward youth, and he may not even cost much if he’s willing to take a discounted deal.
That said, Williams isn’t flawless. Neither was Mathurin, whose own issues showed up during his half-season with LA.
So if the Clippers are looking for a perfect backcourt replacement, that’s not the game here. The better question is whether they can find someone who can give them enough of what they’re losing.
Williams makes a strong case.
There’s been reported interest in Mathurin from the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls, according to Shams Charania, and that means the Clippers may not get a return scorer who can match the 23-year-old former lottery pick. If that’s the outcome, the simplest fix might be to add Williams and keep moving.
He just put together the best season of his career with the Dallas Mavericks in 2025-26, averaging 13.0 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 47.2% from the field. At six-foot-one, he did that efficiently, and that’s the part that stands out most.
Scoring at that level, with that kind of efficiency, at that size is no small thing. Williams has clearly figured out how to handle the ball, get to his spots, and make plays when the situation calls for it.
The concerns are obvious, too. Three-point shooting and defense remain the weak points in his profile.
Those are major parts of the job for any point guard, but especially one who might be asked to stabilize a bench unit. Even so, those flaws can be covered if he lands in the right lineup.
And the Clippers wouldn’t need to lock themselves into anything long term. A short prove-it deal would make sense, giving the front office a chance to evaluate him now and decide later whether he deserves a bigger commitment next summer.
For now, though, Williams looks like the best remaining free-agent answer if Mathurin is moved. The Clippers just need to act before someone else does, because it’s hard to imagine the regular season starting with him still sitting out there.
In Other News...
Kawhi Could Be Headed For An Awkward Return Clippers Fans Know Well
Torontos preseason slate has a familiar stop for Clippers fans tucked into it, with the Raptors set to play across Canada as they begin the year in Quebec City, where they last held training camp in 2019. The schedule gives Toronto a chance to get new faces on the floor and build some early rhythm before the regular season, while also bringing a few notable opponents through the exhibition circuit, including the Heat, Knicks and Pistons.
One of the more interesting dates for Los Angeles comes against a team that still carries plenty of recent history with the franchise, and the setting adds a little extra intrigue for anyone who remembers how the Kawhi Leonard era began. The Clippers will have to wait a bit longer to see how that matchup looks on the court, but the preseason already has a way of making old connections feel fresh again. [Read more 🡒]