Ranking 3 Remaining Clippers' Free Agent Targets from Worst to Best Fit

The Los Angeles Clippers are still waiting for the conclusion of the Kawhi Leonard investigation. For all intents and purposes, all sides are continuing, as the deal will go through. This means that the Clippers will have Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick on their roster instead of Leonard.

It also means that they don't have an open roster spot. But that is not stopping them from being active on the market. In fact, they are actively pursuing several players who are still available.

Among the free agents who are known to be on the Clippers' radar, who should GM Lawrence Frank prioritize? Let's rank them in order of worst to best fit.

3. Bennedict Mathurin

The Clippers reportedly want to bring Mathurin back for at least another season. While this is understandable since they just acquired him in February, Mathurin is not a very good fit in this next iteration of the Clippers.

With Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler, and Brandon Ingram as the three primary creators on the perimeter, the Clippers don't have much use for Mathurin. The 24-year-old shooting guard doesn't space the floor, as he is a poor jump shooter. He is best with the ball in his hands, but taking the ball out of Garland and Ingram's hands and giving it to Mathurin doesn't make much sense.

This means that Mathurin is better suited to a sixth-man role. He could be a helpful score-first option off the bench, but he is not the type of player the Clippers need. LA would be better off with a more physical and athletic player who can guard bigger wings. The Clippers need more defense, size, and athleticism in the post-Kawhi Leonard era, and Mathurin doesn't provide any of it.

2. Jonathan Kuminga

On paper, Kuminga is exactly what the Clippers are looking for. He has elite physical and athletic tools. He is only 23 years old and has a ton of upside.

The problem is, Kuminga hasn't been able to translate his theoretical skill set to the NBA court. He has had flashes throughout his tenures in Golden State and Atlanta, especially as a scorer and a one-on-one defender, but he hasn't put it all together in his five years in the league.

In his best-case scenario, Kuminga could be a 20-point-per-game scorer who can create his own shot. He could also be a versatile, multi-positional defender. His shooting, playmaking, and consistency in his effort, however, leave plenty to be desired.

Kuminga is reportedly looking for a deal that pays him $15 to $20 million per year. If this is a short-term deal that the Clippers can get out of quickly if needed, Kuminga is worth a flier. A multi-year commitment around that salary may be harder to justify.

1. Peyton Watson

The Denver Nuggets' restricted free agent has been near the top of the Clippers' wish list all summer. That is why it never made sense why the Clippers didn't give him an offer sheet when they had the cap space to do so. Instead, they signed Rui Hachimura, a solid signing as well, but the Clippers could have had both Watson and Hachimura.

Now, they have to resort to a sign-and-trade. The Nuggets aren't offering Watson more than a five-year, $70 million deal. The Clippers would be wise to beat this offer. If they need to give up a first-round pick to convince Denver to a sign-and-trade, it would still be a very good move.

Watson is not only already a better player than both Kuminga and Mathurin, but he also has more upside going forward. The 23-year-old combo forward took significant steps forward last season, both as a shooter and a shot creator. He hit over 40% of his threes and showed flashes of high-end individual scoring.

Given that he also has a ton of length, versatility, and athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, Watson has a chance to be a starting-quality forward for a long time. That should make the Clippers aggressively pursue him, whether it's by giving him an offer around $20 million per year or trading a first-round pick to Denver.

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