Bennedict Mathurin’s Restricted Free Agency Is the Los Angeles Clippers’ Biggest Call

When the Indiana Pacers traded Bennedict Mathurin to the LA Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac deal, they were prioritizing positional need over young talent — a trade the Pacers may regret in three years. The Clippers, who have been eyeing Mathurin for some time according to league sources, got exactly what they wanted: a 23-year-old scoring wing with NBA Finals experience and an ascending offensive game. Now the question is whether Los Angeles commits to him long-term or allows the restricted free agency process to become messy. His place on the top free agent rankings reflects his genuine market value.

Mathurin averaged 17.8 points per game in 28 games with Indiana and 17.4 with the Clippers after the trade — a consistency that demonstrates his production is real, not system-dependent. His three-point shooting with the Clippers has been a work in progress — he is still finding his shot — but his off-the-dribble scoring, finishing at the rim, and shot creation in isolation are legitimate at 23. He scored 27 points in Game 3 of last year’s NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The stage does not scare him.

The Clippers hold restricted free-agent rights, meaning they can match any offer sheet. That is leverage, but it is also a cost. If a team with cap room — say, the Brooklyn Nets or Chicago Bulls — decides Mathurin is worth $25 million annually on a four-year offer sheet, Los Angeles must either match and push further toward the luxury tax or walk away from a player they just acquired. Neither outcome is ideal.

John Collins is the other notable Clippers free agent. The 29-year-old power forward shot 40.6 percent from three in Los Angeles and averaged 13.6 points per game — production that is valuable but slightly below his peak Utah Jazz numbers of 19 points on 39.9 percent from deep. Collins will get interest from multiple teams as an unrestricted free agent, and the Clippers’ willingness to pay him will depend on how aggressively they pursue their youth-oriented rebuild.

Brook Lopez, 38, was pressed into starting duty after Zubac was traded and handled the expanded role better than expected given his age and early-season struggles. His team option at $9.2 million is worth picking up for a team that has no other reliable center on the roster. Nicolas Batum, a savvy veteran with championship pedigree, could return on a reduced deal if the Clippers want his leadership in a young locker room.

The Clippers must match any offer sheet on Mathurin, pick up Lopez’s option to maintain center depth, and make a competitive offer to Collins if the price is reasonable. Mathurin is the future of this franchise’s perimeter — 23 years old, already Finals-tested, and arriving at his offensive peak. Letting him walk via restricted free agency to save luxury tax dollars would undermine the entire logic of the Zubac trade. Keep him, build around him, and let the youth movement become something real in Los Angeles.