The restricted free agent market is starting to heat up. The Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks are interested in Bennedict Mathurin, according to Marc Stein, but all three face the same obstacle: the Clippers can match any offer and keep the player.
That's the trap of his situation. To date there is no agreement of any kind, neither with Los Angeles nor with anyone else, and the 24-year-old shooting guard is part of the trio of restricted free agents—alongside Peyton Watson and Jalen Duren—that has frozen the market all summer long.
How he got to the Clippers
His presence in Los Angeles is recent. The franchise acquired his rights in the deal that sent Ivica Zubac to Indiana, amid the dismantling of the veteran core that defined the Clippers' year.
And he delivered. Under Tyronn Lue, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with an unforgettable introduction: 38 points in his debut at Intuit Dome. Starter-caliber numbers on any NBA roster.
The plan if he stays
The Clippers' roadmap contemplates exactly that. If Mathurin remains, the plan is for him to assume a starting role sharing the position with Bradley Beal, who re-signed last Friday for two seasons and $13.2 million. A perimeter that would combine the Canadian's boldness with the veteran's savvy.
For the three suitors, the calculation is always the same with restricted free agents: present an offer high enough that Los Angeles won't match it, knowing that if they do match it, they've made the rival more expensive and come away with nothing. That's why these standoffs drag on until September. And that's why, for now, no one has made a move.