All You Need to Know About Bennedict Mathurin's Restricted Free Agency

Bennedict Mathurin's free agency is one of the biggest unknowns in the Los Angeles Clippers' offseason. On paper, the Clippers could have a ton of cap space this summer, but it could very well be taken up by Mathurin's next contract. What it takes to keep Mathurin going forward will determine how much financial flexibility the Clippers will have this offseason and beyond.

What complicates matters is that the Clippers didn't really get a good look at Mathurin. He played 26 regular-season games and a Play-In game after being acquired at the trade deadline.

He had some big scoring games, but he has also had a handful of duds. His lack of contributions in non-scoring aspects of the game was frustrating at times. He shot 20.7% from three as a Clipper and didn't make much of an impact defensively, so he has yet to prove that he is a good fit next to Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard.

So, have the Clippers seen enough from him to be comfortable with a multi-year extension? What should be the walk-away number? Let's dive into Mathurin's free agency.

Qualifying Offer Possibility

The Clippers must extend a qualifying offer to Mathurin to make him a restricted free agent. If they don't, he will become an unrestricted free agent instead. These offers are pre-determined one-year contracts.

For Mathurin, it will be a one-year, $8.8 million deal. This will essentially act as the first formal contract offer. Mathurin can choose to play on that qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next season. If he accepts the qualifying offer, he will have the right to veto any trades.

This is an unlikely option for Mathurin, as he should have better offers on the market.

Clippers Can Match Any Offer Sheet

After the Clippers extend the qualifying offer, any team can give an offer sheet to Mathurin. LA will have the right to match any offer sheets.

The Bulls, Lakers, and the Nets have more cap space than they know what to do with this summer. The Hawks and the Pistons can also create significant cap space. These teams can offer more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15.1 million per year). The rest of the league will likely be limited to the mid-level exceptions for Mathurin.

It would be surprising to see Mathurin get more annual value than $15 million. Restricted free agency is particularly challenging as it ties up a team's cap space for two days after they give out an offer sheet. Until the Clippers make a decision on matching the offer sheet, the team that has made the offer can't do anything else with its cap space. This can discourage teams from targeting restricted free agents, and can cause Mathurin's market to be more tepid than expected.

If that is the case and Mathurin wants to bet on himself, however, he could prefer to do a short-term deal, or accept his qualifying offer, and hit unrestricted free agency sooner rather than later.

What Does a Realistic Contract Extension Look Like?

Mathurin expressed his desire to stay with the Clippers. This would require the sides to agree to an extension. The fact that the Clippers have some cap space this summer gives Mathurin some leverage to at least demand the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. A three or four-year extension starting around $15.1 million a year could be the sweet spot for both the Clippers and Mathurin.

A shorter-term deal could also benefit both sides. The Clippers may be hesitant to commit long-term without knowing what the future holds with Kawhi Leonard. Plus, they may want to make sure that Mathurin is on a tradeable deal just in case his fit remains questionable with Leonard and Garland.

Mathurin may want to hit unrestricted free agency before he hits his prime. That way, he could choose his destination and earn his big payday. Considering that he is unlikely to be a starter on the Clippers next season, he may want to head elsewhere for a bigger opportunity.

This could make Mathurin more amenable to a two-year deal. In that scenario, perhaps the annual value of the contract could go up. The two-year, $46.8 million contract (with a team option on the second year) that Jonathan Kuminga signed last season with the Warriors after an extended restricted free agency negotiation could be the blueprint for a Mathurin deal.

If Mathurin's side insists on a longer deal that is closer to or above $20 million per year, the Clippers should think very hard about walking away. For a player who hasn't proven himself to be a starter on a playoff team, giving out starter salary could create future financial flexibility issues. Whether the Clippers feel the same way will determine where Mathurin will play next season and beyond.

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