The Los Angeles Clippers remain interested in pursuing a sign-and-trade for Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson even after reaching a deal with forward Rui Hachimura, according to reporting from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
If Los Angeles ultimately backs away, the reporters note it is uncertain which club poses the greatest threat to Denver. The Brooklyn Nets still hold significant cap flexibility and could extend an offer sheet or structure a sign-and-trade, yet league figures described the Nets only as a “conceptual” suitor, suggesting no active negotiations.
Sources told Stein and Fischer that the Clippers’ interest in Watson may explain why the organization has not finalized its previously agreed sign-and-trade sending John Collins to the Detroit Pistons. Folding Watson into that transaction would allow Los Angeles to use Collins’ outgoing salary for matching purposes, enabling the cap-tight Nuggets to avoid taking incoming money. In that scenario, the Clippers would need to attach draft compensation to satisfy Denver, mirroring the approach the Lakers used to acquire Walker Kessler from Utah.
Free-Agent Forward Market
Veterans Larry Nance Jr. and Georges Niang have drawn interest from several of the same teams that continue to court LeBron James, league sources told The Stein Line.
Lonnie Walker IV Gauging NBA Options
Guard Lonnie Walker IV, who played last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv, holds an NBA opt-out that expires on July 15. Before deciding whether to exercise the clause, Walker plans to meet with clubs during the Las Vegas Summer League to evaluate stateside opportunities. He has not appeared in the NBA since his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers ended following the 2024-25 season.
Details on Quinten Post Offer Sheet
Additional financial terms of the Memphis Grizzlies’ offer sheet to Quinten Post include a first-year guaranteed salary of $9 million plus $1.35 million in unlikely All-Defensive incentives. Years two and three are non-guaranteed at $8.55 million each, with $1.28 million per season in similar incentives. Because those incentives count toward a team’s apron, the structure increases the tax burden for Post’s current club, the Golden State Warriors.
Biberovic Chose NBA Over Lucrative NIL Offers
Before agreeing to a two-year, $6 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, Fenerbahce wing Tarik Biberovic received more lucrative NIL offers from U.S. college programs, Stein and Fischer report. The 25-year-old opted for the NBA once he decided to leave the EuroLeague.
Source: HoopsRumors
