Latest Clippers Free Agency Rumors and Tracker

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently embroiled in the Kawhi Leonard saga, having to decide whether to trade him or sign him to a contract extension. While that remains their most important offseason question they need to answer, they also have key free agency decisions to make.

Free agency kicks off at 6 pm EST on Tuesday, which means that teams are allowed to start negotiating with players on the market. Yet, we know by now that once the clock hits 6 pm, deals will start rolling in immediately.

Kawhi Leonard Rumors

Even though it's not technically free agency-related, everything the Clippers do this summer depends on what happens with Leonard. The latest reports suggest that the Toronto Raptors are the frontrunners to land the 35-year-old superstar. Leonard is considered to be open to signing an extension with his former team.

Dallas and Detroit are other teams known to have varying degrees of interest in Kawhi, but because of his unwillingness to extend his contract elsewhere, the chances of a trade with those teams are low.

Clippers Cap Space

LA currently has approximately $39 million in cap space. They are $47 million below the first apron and $60 million below the second apron. This gives them some financial flexibility heading into free agency, and they can open up even more room if they don't exercise some of their team options.

Signing rookie Keaton Wagler to his rookie deal will take up some of this cap space. If they want to re-sign John Collins and Bennedict Mathurin, their cap space could evaporate quickly. Until they figure out what they are doing with Leonard, however, they will likely keep their options open.

Regardless of which direction they go, the Clippers will at least have access to the full non-taxpayer midlevel exception, starting at $15 million next season.

Clippers Want to Keep John Collins and Trade for Goga Bitadze

LA reportedly wants to re-sign Collins, but the starting power forward has other suitors on the market. Orlando, San Antonio, and Philadelphia are pursuing the 28-year-old. The Clippers can outbid them, but whether that is a good idea is a different question.

The Clippers are also reportedly interested in trading for Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, per Jake Fischer and Marc Stein. LA needs to add more depth and quality to its big man rotation, and Bitadze is a solid defensive center. So far, the Magic have not been too eager to move on from their Georgian center.

Peyton Watson Is a Potential Clippers Option in Free Agency

Stein and Fischer also reported that the Clippers are considering pursuing Peyton Watson. The 23-year-old versatile forward is one of the most coveted restricted free agents in the market. He took a massive step forward last season, showing intriguing offensive flashes, both as a shooter and a scorer.

Due to the Denver Nuggets' tight finances, they may not be able to afford to match an offer sheet from Watson. If the Clippers make an offer above $25 million per year for Watson, they should have a solid chance of acquiring him, but he is expected to have multiple suitors.

Because of Denver's financial situation, they have to move on from Cam Johnson and/or Christian Braun to avoid going into the second apron. The Clippers also reportedly have interest in trading for Johnson.

Clippers' Free Agents

Player	Status
John Collins	Unrestricted Free Agent
Bogdan Bogdanovic	Team Option - $16 Million
Brook Lopez	Team Option - $9.2 Million
Bennedict Mathurin	Restricted Free Agent
Nicolas Batum	Team Option - $5.7 Million
Bradley Beal	Player Option - $5.6 Million
Jordan Miller	Team Option - $2.5 Million
Kobe Sanders	Team Option - $2.2 Million

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