Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jalen Duren - Siegel's Scoop
Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jalen Duren - Siegel's Scoop
The NBA offseason has basically wrapped up at this point in early August, except for the restricted free-agent market and the little bits of intel that continue to surface around it. Like how the RFA market dragged on last summer, the same is happening this year with Peyton Watson, Jalen Duren, and Bennedict Mathurin, who are all being held up for different reasons.
Whereas the Denver Nuggets face a tax and financial crisis in retaining Watson, which has led to sign-and-trade pursuits from other teams, the Detroit Pistons have not seen eye to eye with Duren on his value throughout the offseason.
Duren, who just made the All-Star team and All-NBA list for the first time in his career, has been looking to maximize his return on a new contract. The Pistons, however, have not come close to offering him a max deal and do not plan to.
And then there is Mathurin, who the LA Clippers still hold interest in retaining, but it all depends on their pursuit of Watson and the implications of the Kawhi Leonard investigation that has been going on since September 2025.
All three RFA situations don't appear to have a clear end in sight. Could we actually see these three players remain unsigned heading into September and close to the start of training camp? Are there still fireworks on the horizon in the form of potential sign-and-trades to end the offseason?
Here's the latest of what we are hearing about the latest intel around the NBA, starting with Watson's convoluted situation with the Nuggets.
Will Peyton Watson be traded?
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) reacts to making a basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center.
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
For months, the Nuggets have made it clear that they want to bring Watson back. That was the message when their season ended in the first round of the playoffs, and that remained true when free agency began.
Since then, the Nuggets watched Tim Hardaway Jr. leave in free agency, and the team decided to match a two-year, $12 million offer sheet for Spencer Jones that was presented by the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Christian Braun's $125 million contract extension kicking in this upcoming year and Jones' salary increasing, the Nuggets have entered financial purgatory.
As things currently stand, Denver is roughly $17.6 million over the luxury tax threshold and $2 million over the second apron with 13 players on their roster. Aside from facing second-apron restrictions, which doesn't allow them to aggregate salaries in trades or take back salary in a deal unless said move takes them out of the second apron, the Nuggets' tax bill has hit a concerning level.
After keeping Jones, Denver's tax bill jumped from $36 million to about $68 million. A small $6 million AAV contract for Jones increased the Nuggets' tax by roughly $32 million, which has really complicated things regarding Watson's future.
Since 2012, the Nuggets rank 14th in the league in total luxury taxes paid at $57.9 million, with their highest tax bill being $20.4 million in 2025. Is this franchise, which has been middle of the pack in spending for over a decade, all of a sudden ready to become the biggest spenders in the NBA?
That is unlikely to happen, especially since Watson accepting his $6.5 million qualifying offer would push the Nuggets from $68 million to $112 million for the 2026-27 season.
So, what happens now with Watson and the Nuggets' roster?
For years, the team has been attempting to trade Zeke Nnaji, who will make $7.5 million this upcoming year before having a $7.5 million player option for the 2027-28 season. No team has been willing to take on this dead contract, and the Nuggets don't have any first-round picks to try and unload his salary. Instead, Denver only has three second-round picks.
Trading Nnaji would alleviate a lot of financial pressure on the Nuggets and subsequently take them out of the second apron. So too would trading Cam Johnson, Christian Braun, or Aaron Gordon, yet there's been no movement on this front.
Braun has no market around the league as he enters the first year of his $125 million extension, and the Nuggets shut down interest in Johnson near the time of the 2026 NBA Draft in June. The same can be said about Gordon, who has generated the most interest from rival teams to this point.
Denver could always go to the phones for Johnson or Gordon again this offseason if they are serious about keeping Watson, but it is beginning to look like the young forward already has a foot out the door. As much as the Nuggets want to keep Watson, he wants to get paid and have a chance to be a starter after his breakout fourth season.
That is why teams like the LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Atlanta Hawks have all expressed sign-and-trade interest in Watson over the last month.
The Hawks, who held interest during the first few weeks of free agency, have backed off significantly in discussions for Watson due to the Nuggets' asking price and not wanting to pay him more than $20 million annually.
Interest from the Clippers, Bucks, and Cavs is real, yet there are still some limitations to each potential sign-and-trade scenario.
Cleveland could include their 2031 first-round pick, as well as a second-round pick, in a deal for Watson, but they would also need to give up either Dennis Schroder or Max Strus. The problem in doing so is that Denver wouldn't be able to take either player back due to their second-apron status, regardless of what Watson's cap hit would be on a new contract.
Many around the league have cast doubt on Cleveland's chances of landing Watson at this juncture.
The Clippers and Bucks have the clearest paths to landing Watson, with LA already making it known that they would trade veteran wing Derrick Jones Jr. in such a deal with Denver, sources told ClutchPoints. It is unknown whether the Clippers have made a first-round pick available in trade talks for Watson.
Such a move on Denver's part would still require additional salary going out, which is where the Nnaji problem pops up again, especially if they were to add Jones from LA.
Milwaukee is the team many around the league have pointed to as the most likely to land Watson in a sign-and-trade. Along with having a clear opening in their starting unit for an athletic wing like Watson, the Bucks own a $25.4 million TPE from sending Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat earlier this offseason that can be utilized to absorb incoming salary in a sign-and-trade scenario.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. and AJ Green are also two players that would fit Denver's style of play, especially Green as an off-ball shooter. ClutchPoints has confirmed that the Bucks have yet to offer a first-round pick in their framework for Watson, which was first reported by The Athletic on Thursday.
The biggest problem that the Nuggets face is potentially giving up Watson for nothing but draft picks because of their financial situation. Players like Jones, Jaquez, or Green would fit their style of play, but this organization's hands are tied behind their back due to the second apron and tax implications.
With the Nuggets only offering Watson a new deal that is slightly better than the mid-level exception, the young forward and his camp have felt disrespected by the organization, sources said. That is why sign-and-trade scenarios with other teams have been gaining more attention and are Watson's preferred path in restricted free agency.
To this point, there have been zero indications that Watson will accept a deal from Denver that is less than $20 million in AAV. That is why the growing belief around the NBA is that if he is back with the Nuggets, it will only be on his $6.5 million qualifying offer, which still puts the team in a major financial burden.
A trade to either LA or Milwaukee seems to be the most likely outcome for this restricted free agency situation.
Jalen Duren's stalled contract talks
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts during the second half against the Orlando Magic during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena.
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Duren's situation with the Pistons is not like the Watson-Nuggets saga whatsoever, as these negotiations are strictly about numbers.
Given the success he had during the 2025-26 regular season, Duren and his camp believe he is a max-level player. Detroit has never once viewed him this way, sources said, and his downfall in the playoffs for the East's 1-seed certainly didn't help his value.
All offseason, the Pistons have maintained the mindset that Duren will be on their roster to begin the 2026-27 season, and they have no plans of losing him. That was the message sent to teams early in free agency when Duren was exploring potential sign-and-trade routes, and the Sacramento Kings heard this when they offered Domantas Sabonis in a deal for the 22-year-old center.
Detroit never held interest in Sabonis and shut down these discussions immediately, sources said.
The Pistons will not discuss a potential sign-and-trade, which is why no team has emerged as a potential suitor for Duren. He will be returning to the Pistons, but the question is whether they will meet in the middle on a price or whether he will take the biggest risk of all and take his $9.6 million qualifying offer.
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“You can't take the qualifying offer coming off an All-Star season,” one Western Conference front-office member told ClutchPoints regarding Duren's RFA situation. “It's almost like a death sentence. Nobody will view you close to the player you think you are again. Giving up a nine-figure deal for the qualifying offer and risking getting hurt with no long-term security, especially as a center in today's league, would be extremely reckless and foolish.”
Many around the NBA share this mindset regarding Duren and his contract negotiations, with one agent telling ClutchPoints that accepting the qualifying offer would ruin his reputation with both Detroit and other teams who may have had a level of interest in him.
Duren wants a max deal, which would pay him roughly $57 million annually. The message surrounding the Pistons all offseason is that they want a deal in the $30 million to $35 million range. Maybe a deal can get done in the middle, around $38 million to $40 million annually, but Detroit has been sticking to what they believe is fair value for Duren's services.
This organization already has one max player in Cade Cunningham, and Ausar Thompson will be getting a nine-figure, long-term extension before the start of the 2026-27 season as well. That is why the Pistons don't want to tie themselves down and run into a financial problem by extending Duren for too much.
The two sides remain at a standstill with no clear end in sight. Sources say there will be a pause in talks before things pick back up later in August. It is expected that Duren's RFA situation drags into September.
Clippers, Bennedict Mathurin being held up by investigation
LA Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin (9) during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
As the NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard, Aspiration, and the Clippers continues, every potential move for this organization is being held up.
There is currently no telling as to when the Kawhi investigation will be finished by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, and even when it does conclude, there will be a whole process that plays out. The NBA will report the findings and decide on potential punishment (if there was any wrongdoing), and then this could go to arbitration and appeals that will take months to sort through.
That is why there is really no timetable on the Leonard trade being completed, which opens the door for the Clippers' pursuit of Watson and figuring out what to do with Mathurin.
The Clippers do hold a level of interest in retaining Mathurin, sources said. In 26 games with LA following the Ivica Zubac trade with the Indiana Pacers, Mathurin averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor.
Mathurin has displayed his offensive potential in his short time with the Clippers, which is why the organization would want him back. However, the organization is clearly in on Watson, which has opened the door for potential Mathurin sign-and-trade opportunities.
Multiple teams have registered a level of interest in Mathurin to this point. The New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks are among those who have registered interest in the 24-year-old, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Sources say the Detroit Pistons had also inquired about Mathurin around the time of NBA Summer League but are not pursuing him.
If the Clippers are to help another team acquire Mathurin by way of a sign-and-trade, then they will want value in return.
Unless they're giving up Yves Missi, Saddiq Bey, or Herb Jones — which is highly unlikely to happen — the only assets New Orleans could give to LA for Mathurin are draft picks. New Orleans still has access to their full mid-level exception, but they are just $8.2 million below the luxury tax line, which means the Pelicans would want to cut extra salary to acquire Mathurin.
The Bulls have their $9.3 million room mid-level exception left, but Mathurin is expected to make something around the full mid-level range ($15 million AAV). Giving up Isaac Okoro and some second-round picks would likely be enough to get the Clippers to sign off on a Mathurin sign-and-trade. This is definitely one of the smoothest and easiest paths to a deal for Los Angeles.
The Bucks likely view Mathurin as a back-up plan if they are unable to land Watson, and Dallas would need to get creative with outgoing salaries since they are just $2 million from the luxury tax. Klay Thompson is a player that the Mavs want to trade and have no interest in buying out at this time, so hypothetically speaking, his $17.5 million salary could be utilized to absorb Mathurin's new deal.
Where Thompson would then end up in this scenario is unknown. The Miami Heat have been locked in on finding a way to add Thompson, and the Los Angeles Lakers would also be interested in adding Thompson. As a free agent in 2024, Klay chose to join the Mavs to play alongside Luka Doncic.
Well, Luka is now the face of the Lakers, which is why it makes sense that Thompson would have interest in playing for LA.
If the Clippers miss out on landing Watson in a sign-and-trade with the Nuggets, it would make sense for them to bring Mathurin back. However, it's hard to envision a scenario where both wings would be on the Clippers' roster to begin the 2026-27 season.
Mathurin is in a holding pattern right now, and like Duren, it's expected that his RFA market will drag on into late August or early September.
Other NBA free agency intel
***Dallas Mavericks:***As previously mentioned, the Mavs hold no interest in buying out Klay Thompson and are planning to utilize his salary in a trade. If the Heat truly want Thompson, they will need to sacrifice young forward Nikola Jovic a deal. If the Lakers want him or others on the Mavericks' roster, like Daniel Gafford, they will need to get very creative to try and match $17 million to $18 million in outgoing salary with no tradeable first-round picks. Speaking of Gafford, the Mavs continue to signal that they will be very open to any deal involving Gafford that would net them a first-round pick.
***Denver Nuggets:***The Nuggets hold interest in signing veteran swingman DeMar DeRozan to a minimum contract, sources said. To this point, DeRozan has been assessing the market for teams with part of or all of their mid-level exception available. The Heat, who have $8.9 million remaining in their MLE, are a team DeRozan would have high interest in joining if they offered him this remaining amount. It doesn't appear as if DeRozan wants to take a minimum contract after being waived by the Kings.
***Portland Trail Blazers:***Speaking of DeRozan, he is not on the Portland Trail Blazers' radar, and sources confirmed to ClutchPoints that the organization has not held any communication with the veteran since being released by the Kings. Portland is not pursuing DeRozan whatsoever.
***Sacramento Kings:***As reported by ClutchPoints in early July before NBA Summer League, the Kings will not be buying out former All-Star Zach LaVine and plan on him being a veteran leader for their young core entering the 2026-27 season. Should LaVine remain healthy and continue performing at a high level as one of the go-to scorers in Sacramento, he will enter the trade deadline as one of the better offensive talents on the market since he is in the final year of his contract at $48.9 million.