Bennedict Mathurin has a new home, and it’s not the one many expected. The restricted free-agent wing has agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, including a player option, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move ends a wild offseason saga for Mathurin, who bounced from Indiana to the Los Angeles Clippers midseason and now lands with a Pelicans team looking to add scoring punch on the wing.
Mathurin, a 24-year-old Montreal native, was the sixth overall pick by the Pacers in the 2022 NBA Draft. He spent his first three-plus seasons in Indiana before being shipped to the Clippers on February 5 as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Ivica Zubac to the Pacers. Across 263 career games, Mathurin has averaged 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds, and last season he posted career-best numbers — 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 54 games split between Indiana and Los Angeles.
How the Pelicans Got Their Man
The path to New Orleans required some maneuvering. Mathurin’s representatives approached the Clippers about rescinding his $8.8 million qualifying offer, a move that would clear the way for unrestricted free agency and let him choose his next team on his own terms. Charania reported that Mathurin was prioritizing flexibility and the quickest possible route back to unrestricted free agency next summer, which explains the shorter two-year structure with a player option built in. That’s a notably team-friendly number for a player who scored a career-high-tying 38 points in his Clippers home debut against Denver and later dropped a playoff career-high 27 points in just 22 minutes off the bench during the Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City.
For New Orleans, adding a proven scorer at that price point is low-risk, high-upside business. The Pelicans have been searching for consistent perimeter shot creation, and Mathurin’s blend of downhill aggression and improved efficiency — he shot better than 42 percent from the field in each of the last two seasons — gives new head coach and front office decision-makers another weapon to plug into the rotation. Fans tracking the NBA Championship odds will note the Pelicans remain long shots, but a healthy, motivated Mathurin at least raises their offensive ceiling heading into training camp.
What’s Next for Mathurin and the Pelicans
The deal is not yet official. Charania and other reporters noted that the Clippers and Mathurin still need to formally agree to rescind the qualifying offer before the contract with New Orleans can be finalized, a step that had not been completed as of Wednesday but was described as imminent. Once that paperwork clears, Mathurin becomes eligible to sign with the Pelicans outright as an unrestricted free agent.
The short-term structure of the contract also sets up an intriguing 2027 offseason. If Mathurin performs well in New Orleans and opts out of the second year, he could re-enter unrestricted free agency at just 25 years old with a fresh platform of production behind him. For a Pelicans franchise still shaping its identity around its young core, adding a talent with Mathurin’s scoring pedigree — even on a short-term basis — gives the roster more juice without a long-term financial commitment. Bettors and fans keeping tabs on Louisiana’s growing sports betting market can find more on the state’s options in the Louisiana sports betting guide as the Pelicans gear up for the new season.
