A new report sheds light on how the Clippers are approaching Bennedict Mathurin's restricted free agency while the Kawhi Leonard saga drags on.
Free agency has mostly wrapped up around the league, yet Bennedict Mathurin remains in limbo with the Los Angeles Clippers.
A new report from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto shed light on where things stand between the fourth-year wing and the franchise that acquired him at the February trade deadline.
According to Scotto, the Clippers remain interested in re-signing the restricted free agent, and rival teams have been calling about sign-and-trade scenarios.
Nothing can move quickly, however, because the organization is waiting on answers in a separate matter that has frozen nearly all of its offseason business, leaving one of its most talented young players stuck in a holding pattern.
Scotto reported that the Clippers "are hesitant to make significant roster decisions as Kawhi Leonard's Aspiration investigation remains ongoing and has held up his expected trade to the Toronto Raptors."
The sign-and-trade interest in Mathurin has not produced anything close to a resolution either, per the report.
Split Between Two Teams
Indiana sent Mathurin to Los Angeles in the deadline deal that delivered Ivica Zubac to the Pacers, a trade that also included Isaiah Jackson and multiple draft picks.
The change of scenery produced mixed results, since Mathurin averaged 17.6 points per game across 54 total contests on the season but saw his three-point shooting dip sharply after the move.
He closed on a high note, posting 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the regular-season finale against Golden State back in April, which stands as his last game action heading into next season.
Mathurin averaged 16.1 points across 72 games for Indiana the year before the trade, and his career scoring average sits at 16.2 through four seasons, production that would draw far more suitors in a normal summer.
A Quiet Market
The betting around the league is that Mathurin's options are thinner than his talent suggests.
Mathurin could also accept a qualifying offer worth roughly 8.8 million dollars and reach unrestricted free agency next summer, a path that would even hand him veto power over any trade, though it would mean betting on himself after an uneven year.
Everything Waits on Kawhi Leonard
The league's investigation into Leonard's dealings with Aspiration now has a reported timetable for resolution, and its outcome will unlock the agreed trade sending the star to Toronto.
Once that domino falls, the front office can finalize its depth chart for next season and start answering the biggest questions still hanging over the roster.
Mathurin's camp will be watching closely, because his next contract probably cannot get signed until the Leonard saga finally ends, and training camp is creeping closer by the week.
