The Clippers’ Bennedict Mathurin question is still hanging over their offseason, but Chicago has emerged as the clearest team to watch if LA decides to move on.
At the start of the summer, the idea of keeping the restricted free agent looked straightforward. That has changed as the Clippers have filled out the rest of their roster and as Mathurin’s path to consistent minutes has gotten tighter. At the same time, interest in the young Canadian has only grown, and the price to pry him away in a sign-and-trade has not looked cheap.
Among the teams linked to him, the Bulls stand out. Chicago was one of the clubs that valued Mathurin’s scoring enough to look past the rough edges in his game, joining the Dallas Mavericks, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the New Orleans Pelicans in that pursuit.
The reported framework from Chicago would send Isaac Okoro and multiple second-round picks to LA. The Bulls still have $9.3 million left from the mid-level exception, while Mathurin is expected to seek something closer to the full mid-level range of $15 million.
For Tyronn Lue, that kind of deal would come with a clear tradeoff: a real scoring piece out, a defensive specialist in. With other key rotation names like Brandon Ingram and Darius Garland not giving the same level of reliability on defense, and with Rui Hachimura and Gradey Dick needing shots of their own, the defensive upgrade could fit the current roster better than another scorer would.
There’s also the long view. Landing second-round picks would give the Clippers more ammunition to keep building.
LA still has interest in bringing Mathurin back. In 26 games with the Clippers last season, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor.
Even so, his future in LA is unsettled, especially with the speculation around Peyton Watson. That has left the door open to the possibility that the Clippers cash in while his value is still high.
If Chicago is the team that finally gets a deal done, it would make plenty of sense for all sides involved.
In Other News...
Clippers Rebuild Just Got A Real Chance To Build Early Momentum
The Clippers rebuild now has a clearer runway, at least on paper, after the NBA released the 2026-27 schedule. After moving on from core pieces Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, the focus in Los Angeles has shifted to a younger group, and the leagues schedule break offers a little help right away with fewer back-to-backs, more home dates and no holiday games to navigate.
For a roster expected to lean on Keaton Wagler and Darius Garland, those little edges can matter early, especially for a team trying to establish habits and confidence in a new era. The calendar also brings back matchups against former Clippers, while the club landed eight national television appearances, a reminder that even in transition, there will be plenty of attention on how quickly this reset starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Still Have One Offseason Move That Could Change Their Rotation
As the NBA offseason enters its final stretch, the Clippers still have a few paths they can explore to round out the roster, and the one drawing the most attention is a possible sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson. The Denver forward is in a contract stalemate with the Nuggets, which gives Los Angeles at least a reason to keep digging on a deal that could add another versatile piece to a rotation already taking shape.
If that route never opens up, the Clippers are still looking at other ways to make a late addition, with Bradley Beal, Bennedict Mathurin and even a center among the options they have examined. It leaves the front office with a familiar summer dilemma: whether to wait for the cleanest fit or settle on the best available move before camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]