As the free agency negotiation period nears, the Clippers have decisions to make about their roster. Who do they bring back going into next season? Who do they let walk and who will they pursue when negotiations officially begin Tuesday at 3 p.m. PT?
The Clippers have remained adamant that they intend to continue to build their roster around 35-year-old star Kawhi Leonard, so presuming they are not about to ship the two-time NBA Finals MVP somewhere else, their attention this week turns to some of their younger rotation pieces.
The Clippers have several free agents, starting with forward John Collins, who established himself as a vital piece of their frontcourt after the team traded center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers in February, and again after rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser suffered a season-ending foot injury.
Niederhauser is not expected to be ready to play until at least January, so the 28-year-old Collins, an unrestricted free agent, could remain a key piece of the Clippers’ frontcourt depending on his asking price this week.
Before last week’s draft, re-signing wing Bennedict Mathurin, a restricted free agent, looked like a no-brainer. At 24, he brings youthful enthusiasm, the ability to score from anywhere and a willingness to learn.
But after the Clippers used the No. 5 pick in the first round on Illinois combo guard Keaton Wagler, who can shoot, pass and play defense, to pair alongside point guard Darius Garland, it’s less clear what kind of offers the Clippers would be willing to match to retain Mathurin, who would likely have to come off the bench for them next season.
The Clippers are expected to extend a qualifying offer to the former Pac-12 Player of the Year for one year at $8.8 million, giving him the option of playing on that deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent next season unless he wants to seek a better offer elsewhere now, which the Clippers could then consider matching (they would have 48 hours to match any any offer sheet he signs with another team).
“He’s going to get incrementally better at those things because he’s a worker,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said of Mathurin’s skill set. “He has good DNA, and with free agency, he’s a restricted free agent so we have the right to match and at the appropriate time, can we find a deal that works for both sides and that’s how it’s supposed to work.
“Not just with Benn, but with John (Collins) and anyone else.”
The Clippers also face a decision with the $9.1 million team option they have on veteran center Brook Lopez, who signed the two-year deal last summer.
If Lopez departs, it would leave the team (at least temporarily) without a seasoned center to begin next season. Niederhauser will be rehabbing into the winter, and 6-11 Spanish rookie Baba Miller needs time to get up to speed even if he offers long-term upside as a frontcourt presence.
Lopez is a natural solution, but at 38 he no longer has the mobility and athleticism that made him the NBA’s Defensive Player of Year in 2023. At his team option, he could become a costly bench player by midseason.
Bogdan Bogdanovic’s stay with the Clippers appears to be over after less than two seasons. The team is expected to trade him; both sides have agreed that the team would wait before deciding on his $16 million team option, so they have more time to pursue a trade.
Bogdanovic, 33, who the Clippers acquired in a February 2025 trade, is coming off one of the worst seasons of his 10-year NBA career. He fell out of Coach Tyronn Lue’s rotation, appearing in only 23 games and averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting just 38.8% from the field.
The Clippers are likely to pick up the options on their other key free agents – guard Jordan Miller ($2.5 million), guard Kobe Sanders ($2.2 million) and veteran forward Nicolas Batum ($5.5 million).
The Clippers elevated Miller from a two-way contract to standard roster status in February after he earned a spot in the rotation. He became a valuable bench player, averaging 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 25.9 minutes over his last 18 games.
Veteran guard Bradley Beal, who missed all but five games last season after fracturing his left hip, is expected to exercise his player option on the second year of his $11 million contract.