3 John Collins Replacements Clippers Must Pursue in Free Agency

The Los Angeles Clippers let free agent John Collins sign with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. The veteran power forward suited up in 69 games for the Clippers last season, including 56 starts, and averaged 27.1 minutes per game. He was the only traditional power forward on the team, playing a crucial role on both ends of the floor.

This has opened up a big hole in the starting lineup for the Clippers. Especially now that the Clippers have Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler, and Brandon Ingram on the perimeter, they have to have solid size, physicality, and athleticism in the frontcourt. That is why it's of utmost importance for the Clippers to find a suitable replacement for Collins.

Rui Hachimura

The Lakers are going in a different direction this summer and have chosen to replace Hachimura with Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili in free agency. The Japanese forward has some suitors in the open market, but the Clippers would be wise to swoop in and land Hachimura.

The 28-year-old forward isn't the most athletic or physical player, but he has solid positional size at six-foot-eight. In recent years, he has turned himself into an elite shooter, hitting over 40% from three in each of the last three seasons.

Hachimura's impact in other aspects of the game is limited, but this makes him acquirable in free agency. For only a part of the Clippers' non-taxpayer midlevel exception (starting at $15 million), Hachimura would be a solid rotation option in LA.

Jonathan Kuminga

The 23-year-old forward has become an unrestricted free agent after the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 team option for next season. Kuminga continues to have intriguing upside thanks to his physical and athletic tools, but has yet to put it all together to establish his NBA career.

When he is engaged, Kuminga is a solid individual defender. He can guard multiple positions and has enough versatility to carve out a role for himself on that end of the floor.

Offensively, he still needs to become a better shooter. His inability to shoot makes him a poor off-ball player. When he has the ball, he can create his own shot, hit mid-rangers, and get to the basket, but he is not a good passer or playmaker.

Despite all of his flaws, Kuminga is worth a flier. If the Clippers can use some of their midlevel exception on a short-term deal to sign him, he would be a solid upside play.

Peyton Watson

The Nuggets forward is one of the best players remaining on the market. The problem is, he is a restricted free agent, making it hard for any team to poach him. Denver is reportedly prioritizing him and wants to sign him to a new deal, but they have to clear some cap space by moving on from Christian Braun or Cam Johnson first. Even if they can't do that, the Nuggets have the right to match any offer sheets.

However, Denver is a cheap organization that doesn't want to go deep into the luxury tax. So, there is a price that the Clippers can get to that will scare the Nuggets. Another option would be executing a sign-and-trade. If the Clippers are willing to go over $25 million per season for Watson, they could certainly lure him to LA.

Watson emerged as a high-level starting power forward last season. He is a solid defender who can protect the rim and guard elite offensive players. He also hit over 40% of his threes last season. He has begun to show nascent shot creation and playmaking skills last season, putting up career highs across the board.

At 23 years old, Watson has a ton of potential. The combination of his age, play style, and upside makes Watson an excellent fit in LA, given what the Clippers need and what their timeline is.

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