Clippers' Bennedict Mathurin (00) shoots vs. Pistons' Jalen Duren
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
On Wednesday night, it was announced that the Denver Nuggets had agreed to a sign-and-trade agreement with restricted free agent Peyton Watson, sending him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers. The Nuggets decided against re-signing Watson, as doing so would have stretched their financial capabilities — forcing them to pay a luxury tax bill of around $220 million.
This put an end to the drawn-out restricted free agency process for Watson, who is coming off a breakout campaign for the Nuggets. There was a stretch from December 27, 2025 to February 4, 2026 where Watson put up 20.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 49/43/72 shooting splits, looking like a future star before injuries slowed his roll.
With Watson now signing a new deal, only two players are left in restricted free agency. As pointed out by NBA insider Marc Stein, both Jalen Duren and Bennedict Mathurin still remain unsigned.
Duren's restricted free agency drama is reminiscent of Eric Bledsoe's prolonged stay on the open market back in 2014. It wasn't until September of that year when Bledsoe re-signed with the Phoenix Suns, and at this point, it might take until that long for Duren to get himself a new deal.
Duren and the Detroit Pistons have been engaged in a standoff all offseason long, as they are yet to find a compromise on their valuation of what is fair on a new contract. The 22-year-old is coming off a career year in which he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, and he even made the All-NBA Third Team, but his subpar performances in the playoffs have caused his value to take a bit of a hit.
Meanwhile, Mathurin, a talented scorer who came over to the Clippers in a midseason trade involving Ivica Zubac, has had a lukewarm market. The Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans have been rumored to take an interest in him, although there are no concrete indications as to where Mathurin's future lies.