3 Free Agents Not Named Peyton Watson Clippers Can Sign After Rui Hachimura

After the Rui Hachimura signing, the Los Angeles Clippers still have two open roster spots. They can go in various directions with those spots. Re-signing Bennedict Mathurin using his Bird rights remains a realistic option. There is still the possibility of Nicolas Batum returning for another season and Bradley Beal re-signing with the Clippers, but we haven't heard much on either front.

What we heard a lot about instead is the possibility of acquiring Peyton Watson. The restricted free agent forward is one of the best players remaining on the market, and the Clippers' interest in him is well-documented. Due to their cap situation, however, the Clippers need to create additional cap space or execute a sign-and-trade.

This may be easier said than done. Especially with the Hachimura addition, investing significant resources into Watson may not be the best use of resources.

Instead, the Clippers could make smaller moves. They have their $5.5 million bi-annual exception they can still use, and they also have ways to open up more cap space to sign another free agent or two. Here are a few options in the open market that make some sense.

Matisse Thybulle

The Clippers still need more defense. Turning Kawhi Leonard into Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick and John Collins into Rui Hachimura were both defensive downgrades. Especially with the addition of Keaton Wagler, the Clippers have more offense-first players who are potential defensive liabilities.

Tyhbulle fills a clear need. He has had significant injury concerns over the last two years, playing in only 45 games, but when he is healthy, he is still a defensive difference-maker.

Very few players make as many defensive plays as Thybulle. The 29-year-old veteran is a ballhawk who forces a ton of turnovers and deters shots at the rim. He is not the most elite option in one-on-one defense, but he is a clear upgrade over most Clippers perimeter players. Given that he can be acquired with the bi-annual exception, LA could do worse.

Nick Richards

Brook Lopez is 38 years old, Yanic Konan Niederhauser will miss the start of the season with an injury, and Isaiah Jackson is undersized. All three Clippers centers enter the season with significant question marks.

At this point, adding a high-level center through free agency is not possible. But, there are a couple of depth pieces who could help the Clippers. Nick Richards may be the best player among them.

The 28-year-old center spent last season with the Suns and the Bulls, but remains unsigned. He is a good rebounder who is a decent finisher around the rim. He has good size and block shots when he is in position. As the third center in the rotation, Richards is a solid option.

Jonathan Kuminga

This one requires more moves by the Clippers. As things stand now, the Clippers don't have the cap space to sign Kuminga outright. But they can open up room through trades to bring in the 23-year-old forward. They can also make a sign-and-trade, which would allow them to pay Kuminga more than the cap space they currently have.

On paper, Kuminga is a worthy flier. He has all the physical and athletic tools to be an impactful player in the league, but hasn't been able to put it all together. His effort and intensity levels have waxed and waned, and he never became the shooter he needed to become to be a starter on the wing. This has led to the Warriors giving up on him and the Hawks not picking up his team option this summer.

The Clippers could give him a bigger role. As the power forward tandem, Hachimura and Kuminga complement each other well. If LA can bring him in on a short-term team-friendly deal, Kuminga is the type of player the Clippers could use in the post-Kawhi Leonard era.

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