The Los Angeles Clippers have extended a qualifying offer to Bennedict Mathurin, making the 24-year-old wing a restricted free agent, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto. The move gives the Clippers the ability to match any offer sheet Mathurin receives while keeping him in their long-term plans.
Mathurin became eligible for restricted free agency after completing his four-year, $29.9 million rookie scale contract. The former lottery pick had a career-best scoring season in 2025-26, averaging 17.6 points per game while adding 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 54 games.
The Clippers acquired Mathurin during the 2025-26 season, and he appeared in 26 games for Los Angeles. He averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 28 minutes per game, but his shooting numbers changed after the move. Mathurin shot 42.6% from the field and 20.7% from three-point range with the Clippers after shooting 37.2% from deep in 28 games with Indiana.
Overall, Mathurin continued to show his ability to attack the rim and draw fouls. He attempted 7.3 free throws per game with Los Angeles and converted 85.8% of those attempts. Over his four NBA seasons, he has averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 44.2% from the field.
The decision comes as the Clippers look to maintain a competitive roster around Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists during the 2025-26 season. Los Angeles finished ninth in the Western Conference at 42-40 and earned a Play-In Tournament spot, but the team is continuing to add young talent around its veteran core.
Along with Mathurin, the Clippers also extended qualifying offers to Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders after declining their team options for the 2026-27 season. Scotto reported that Los Angeles hopes to reach multi-year agreements with both players.
Miller took a significant step forward in 2025-26, averaging 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 60 games. He shot 53.1% from the field and improved his three-point efficiency to 34.5%, becoming a reliable rotation wing.
Sanders also became a regular contributor after being selected by the Clippers, appearing in 68 games with 16 starts. The guard averaged 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 40.8% from three-point range.
The Clippers entered the 2026 offseason with multiple young pieces under team control, including recent draft selections Keaton Wagler, Baba Miller, Henri Veesaar, Nick Martinelli and Narcisse Ngoy.
