{"id":715863,"date":"2026-04-22T13:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/715863\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:00:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:00:18","slug":"clippers-must-pursue-perfect-fit-next-to-darius-garland-and-kawhi-leonard-in-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/715863\/","title":{"rendered":"Clippers Must Pursue Perfect Fit Next to Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard in Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a resurgent second half of the season for the Los Angeles Clippers, there is room for optimism as the offseason approaches<\/a>. Should they elect to keep Kawhi Leonard around for another season<\/a>, they have a steady duo to build around with Leonard and Darius Garland.<\/p>\n

John Collins highlights the Clippers’ free agency class as he’ll enter as an unrestricted free agent. Bennedict Mathurin <\/a>is a restricted free agent, so LA will have an opportunity to match any other offer. However, there are some more unanswered questions surrounding the Clippers this offseason.<\/p>\n

The current investigation surrounding the organization with the company Aspiration could hinder their offseason plans if they are found guilty of any wrongdoing. There is also a possibility that Leonard could be traded during the summer. On a potential positive note, LA could be granted a top-ten pick if the Indiana Pacers’ pick falls out of the top four. A lot still needs to happen to realistically project LA’s summer.<\/p>\n

Assuming the Clippers have Leonard and aren’t punished by the league, there is an ideal free agent that LA could pursue. <\/p>\n

Mark Williams Could be an Ideal Fit for the Clippers<\/p>\n

The Clippers desperately need frontcourt help.<\/a> Brook Lopez was the lone consistent center on the roster towards the end of the year. He has a $9.1 million team option that the Clippers will have to decide on. Yanic Konan Niederhauser had a solid season before he went down with a season-ending injury.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the center free agent market is slim. Nikola Vucevic, Jusuf Nurkic, and Mitchell Robinson highlight the unrestricted free agents available. LA needs a bruiser down low that can grab rebounds and block shots. Robinson fits that criteria, so he could make sense, but Mark Williams would be a great addition for the Clippers.<\/p>\n

Williams is a restricted free agent with the Phoenix Suns, so Phoenix would have an opportunity to match any offer LA makes. Last season, he played a career-high 60 games and averaged 11.7 points per game and eight rebounds.<\/p>\n

Williams has a lengthy injury history, which makes him a risk, but the ceiling is very high for the 24-year-old. He would be an excellent pick-and-roll partner alongside Garland. With the Suns, Williams was used as a roll man 23% of the time, according to craftednba.com<\/a>. His 7’7″ wingspan could be helpful on defense as the Clippers ranked 14th in blocked shots per game.<\/p>\n

The question becomes, will LA prioritize adding center depth, or will they pursue a playmaking guard to back up Garland? They certainly have the cap space to do both<\/a>, but giving Williams a big enough offer sheet to scare off the Suns from matching may be costly. <\/p>\n

The league has shifted back to needing bruising bigs to protect the paint and help win the rebound battles. Currently, the Clippers don’t have enough size to compete with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and the Denver Nuggets. Pursuing Williams would be a step in the right direction toward solving that issue.<\/p>\n

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