Watson still makes sense for Los Angeles, while the unfinished Kawhi Leonard trade has left the Clippers without a clean way to finish another major move.
Peyton Watson would fit nearly everything the Clippers are trying to build after Kawhi Leonard.
Los Angeles still has an agreed trade with Toronto sitting unfinished, leaving the front office to plan around players and draft picks it does not officially have.
That uncertainty has reached Watson's restricted free agency and directly affects what Los Angeles can do next.
Tony Jones included Los Angeles among Watson's possible suitors and said the Clippers “are now in a holding pattern after their Kawhi Leonard trade with the Toronto Raptors was paused."
The Clippers Don't Know What They Have
The Toronto deal is supposed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and future draft assets to Los Angeles.
Until it is completed, the Clippers can't treat those pieces as part of the roster or freely use them to shape another trade.
The available reporting leaves Watson outside the Leonard deal, with no verified path for Los Angeles to acquire him without sending salary to Denver.
The unfinished move makes every other option harder to judge, including what the Clippers can afford to send elsewhere.
The Clippers saw how better health helped their rotation late last season, so they should be careful about sending away useful depth only to complete a separate Watson deal.
A young wing helps more when the roster around him still has enough players to survive injuries, and Watson alone would not replace every useful piece spent to get him.
Watson Still Fits the New Group
Watson averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds last season, though his defense is the larger reason Los Angeles should remain interested.
He can guard wings without needing the offense built around him, which fits beside Ingram, Darius Garland and the other scorers expected to carry larger roles.
His 41.1 percent shooting from deep also gives the Clippers a reason to believe he can stay on the floor in important minutes.
His main jobs would be defending wings and making defenses respect him when the ball moves away from the main action.
Watson also gives the coaching staff room to change matchups without changing the whole rotation.
He can start against a larger wing, move to the bench against smaller teams and close beside whichever scorers are having the best night.
Atlanta and Milwaukee have also shown interest in Watson, so Los Angeles can't assume he will wait forever.
Denver still controls his restricted free agency, and another team may eventually put together a return the Nuggets prefer.
Los Angeles Should Not Force It
Leonard averaged 27.9 points across 65 games, which helps explain why his trade touches nearly every part of the Clippers' next roster.
The return from Toronto will decide how much scoring, shooting and draft help Los Angeles already has before it spends more on Watson.
The actual Toronto agreement gives the Clippers several ways to build, and Los Angeles should protect that return before chasing the next move.
Watson is worth pursuing because his age and defense match the direction of the team.
A price that tears into the depth coming from Toronto would take away too much of what makes the fit appealing.
