Mathurin is settling into his new home and already likes what he sees.
The 23-year-old wing came to the Clippers as part of the trade that sent Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers at the deadline, and after just two games in a Clippers uniform heading into the All-Star break, Mathurin sounds like a player who knows where he belongs.
"I'm just able to fit pretty much, in any kind of lineups," Mathurin said.
Early Returns in Houston
That confidence showed up right away in his Clippers debut on February 10 in Houston, where he came off the bench and finished with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in 26 minutes, and even though the shots were not falling on 4-of-13 from the field, his energy stood out from the jump.
The very next night, head coach Tyronn Lue talked to him about being more aggressive, and Mathurin responded with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block in 31 minutes as the Clippers pulled off a 105-102 comeback win heading into the break.
Kris Dunn did not hold back after that second game, calling Mathurin a gritty player who can make plays on and off the ball while praising his two-way ability.
Why He Fits Long-Term
Mathurin was having a career year with the Pacers before the trade, putting up 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while showing real growth as a defender in his fourth NBA season.
On a 26-28 Clippers team that traded away James Harden and Zubac in back-to-back deals, Mathurin gives them a young, athletic scorer who can play off Kawhi Leonard and create his own shot when needed.
Leonard has been carrying a heavy load all season, averaging a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while ranking second in the league in steals, so having Mathurin as a secondary scorer is exactly what the front office had in mind.
The Case To Keep Him
The biggest question hanging over the Clippers this summer is whether they will re-sign Mathurin, who becomes a restricted free agent when the season ends, and the answer should be yes based on everything he brings to the table.
He is only 23, he was the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, he showed he can perform on the biggest stage during the Pacers' Finals run last season, and his scoring ability fills a real need for a team building around Leonard and the incoming Darius Garland.
As a restricted free agent, the Clippers can match any offer sheet Mathurin signs elsewhere, so they hold all the cards and should use them because letting him walk for nothing after trading Zubac to get him would be tough to swallow.
The second half will tell us more about what Mathurin can do in this system, but if his first two games are any sign, the Clippers may have found their long-term running mate for Leonard on the wing.