The Bennedict Mathurin situation has reached the point where the LA Clippers are making the market speak for itself.
For now, the sign-and-trade chatter is still out there. But according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, the Clippers are only willing to take those conversations seriously if “it benefits them and adds more assets, such as either a young promising player, picks or both.” That’s a pretty clear line in the sand, and it points toward one outcome: Mathurin staying put in LA.
That stance matters because Mathurin’s value hasn’t exactly soared since arriving at the trade deadline. The Clippers wanted him to prove he could look like a true All-Star-level piece before the offseason hit, giving them either the flexibility to keep him long term or the leverage to move him for a strong return. Instead, the half-season turned into a mixed bag.
He opened with promise, but the momentum didn’t hold. Mathurin never earned a stable starting spot in Tyronn Lue’s rotation, his production as a sixth man came and went, and the offensive flaws in his game started to show more clearly as the sample grew.
The numbers tell the story. In 26 games with the Clippers, Mathurin averaged 17.4 points while shooting 42.6% from the field on 12.3 attempts per game and 20.7% from 3-point range on 3.2 attempts. In his only start, he finished with 14 points on 4-for-14 shooting, along with six turnovers and five personal fouls.
That’s not the kind of resume that brings back a massive haul. Yes, he’s 24 and he can score. But that’s about where the selling points start to run thin, especially if the Clippers are asking for quality draft capital, a promising young player, or both.
At this stage, it’s hard to imagine another team paying that price. Which is why the more likely path is the simplest one: Mathurin back in LA next season, either on a new deal or the qualifying offer.
In Other News...
Clippers Still Arent Clear In Kawhi Leonard Salary Cap Saga
The Clippers Kawhi Leonard saga still has no clean ending, and the leagues ongoing investigation keeps hanging over the franchise as it sorts through allegations that owner Steve Ballmer and the team worked around the salary cap through no-show jobs. The reporting that set this off, led by Pablo Torre, has kept pressure on the NBA to explain how Leonards compensation arrangements were handled, while commissioner Adam Silver has already said there is no conclusive evidence yet.
For Los Angeles, the problem is less about a single accusation than the uncertainty it leaves behind, with a law firm reviewing the matter and the whole situation still unresolved. The ripple effects have reached beyond the Clippers, too, with Toronto having paused a Leonard trade situation until the inquiry is settled, which is a reminder that this is no longer just an old front-office question but an active leaguewide issue. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Linked To Young Defensive Help With One Big Catch
Washington has a young wing defender who would make a lot of sense for a Clippers roster always searching for more size and activity on the perimeter. The appeal is obvious: Bilal Coulibaly brings defensive upside that could play in almost any rotation, and his presence would give Los Angeles another option to throw at bigger and more versatile matchups while the offense around him continues to carry the load.
The catch, of course, is that Coulibaly is still limited on that end, which is why any move would have to be framed as a bet on development rather than immediate production. For a team with little margin for error, the cost matters too, and the Clippers would likely have to decide whether a modest package centered on Kris Dunn and a future second-round pick is enough to make the swing worth it. [Read more 🡒]