The Clippers cleared money by trading Kawhi Leonard, and Peyton Watson looks like the player worth spending it on.
The Los Angeles Clippers turned the page on the Kawhi Leonard era this week, sending the two-time Finals MVP back to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a package of future draft picks.
It closes out a seven-year run that included just one trip to the Western Conference Finals and ends with Los Angeles picking up the pieces after a 42-40 finish that stopped short of the playoffs.
Instead of chasing another star to replace him, the front office looks ready to build around Darius Garland, Ingram, and a young core, and the moves already made this offseason point toward one specific target.
Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson has emerged as a name worth watching, and the numbers behind the Clippers' summer explain why.
Cap Space Takes Shape
The financial picture changed fast once Leonard's $50.3 million salary left the books.
Los Angeles also declined team options on Nicolas Batum and Bogdan Bogdanovic worth a combined $22 million, clearing even more room before making its first addition by re-signing Kobe Sanders to a four-year deal worth close to $11 million, locking up one of last year's better surprises at a below-market price.
That left the Clippers with roughly $29 million in space to work with, and the picture got even simpler once John Collins agreed to a three-year deal with the Detroit Pistons through a sign-and-trade that also handed Los Angeles a trade exception to use down the road.
Losing Collins leaves a gap in the frontcourt, but the more pressing opening is on the wing where Leonard used to play, and that is exactly where the Clippers have been linked to their top target this summer.
Why Watson Makes Sense
Watson is heading into restricted free agency after a breakout season in Denver, where injuries forced him into the starting lineup and he turned the chance into a career year, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists a game while shooting a career-best 41 percent from three.
A hamstring injury ended his season early, and the Nuggets went on to finish 54-28 before losing in six games to Minnesota in the first round, a series where his absence was easy to spot.
At 23 years old, Watson would slide right into the timeline Los Angeles is building around Garland, who ran the offense at a 6.7 assists per game clip this season and needs shooters and finishers around him in pick-and-roll actions.
Watson brings the length and defensive versatility Los Angeles lost when Leonard left, plus a jump shot that keeps defenses honest, and he grew up in the area after starring at Long Beach Poly and UCLA.
Denver holds matching rights and wants him back, but the Nuggets are already deep into luxury tax territory and may need to trade away salary just to make the numbers work.
That mix of a motivated buyer and a seller under pressure is exactly why the Clippers keep showing up on the short list of teams believed to be circling Watson as free agency opens.
