Although the Bulls view Bennedict Mathurin as a talented player worth a potential flyer, their interest in the Clippers‘ restricted free agent swingman has been “overstated,” a league source tells Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.

As Lorenzi explains, Chicago’s top two priorities at this point are maintaining roster flexibility and acquiring future assets. A sign-and-trade would likely be necessary for the team to land Mathurin, which could mean sacrificing future assets (e.g. second-round picks) to acquire him. Additionally, a player acquired via sign-and-trade must cover at least three seasons, which could compromise the Bulls’ flexibility going forward.

While the Bulls could use more scoring, floor spacing and defense are greater areas of need, according to Lorenzi, who suggests the club doesn’t really need a high-volume scorer who isn’t a great passer or shooter. That doesn’t mean the Bulls are out on Mathurin, but Lorenzi believes a union between the two sides is only plausible in a team-friendly scenario that doesn’t require Chicago to offer him more than a short-term guarantee or give up valuable assets.

We have more from around the Central:

• The one-year, minimum-salary contract that Mario Hezonja signed with the Cavaliers is non-guaranteed, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). According to Scotto, Hezonja’s full $2,845,883 salary will become guaranteed if he remains under contract through November 15. Real Madrid reportedly had concerns that the Croatian forward would be waived this fall and then join a EuroLeague rival after exercising his NBA out clause with the Spanish club, though one report out of Cleveland indicated the Cavs envision Hezonja playing a regular rotation role and don’t intend to cut him before the season.
• The Pacers‘ transactions since February’s Ivica Zubac trade have been mostly minor, but several of those smaller moves have been important, according to Tony East of Forbes, who takes a look at how Indiana has added depth without having the flexibility to take major swings.
• In case you missed it, we published another round-up of Central notes this morning, with items on the Pistons, Cavs, and Pacers.