The Los Angeles Clippers lost Bennedict Mathurin in the offseason as the restricted free agent opted to sign with the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Clippers revoked their qualifying offer, which allowed Mathurin to accept an outright deal from the Pelicans instead of matching the offer. The dust hasn’t fully settled on the deal and it could turn into a sign-and-trade before it becomes official.

The end result is that the Clippers are working with Mathurin and his team to get him to the Pelicans.

The Clippers acquired Mathurin at the trade deadline as part of the Ivica Zubac deal. He averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 26 games with the Clippers, shooting 42% from the field and 20% from three.

Mathurin was viewed by many as a key piece for the Clippers when he was acquired, as they didn’t know at the time that the top four protected pick would convey and end up being the fifth overall pick in the 2026 draft.

In the end, the fifth overall pick, Keaton Wagler, is the player who will benefit the most from Mathurin leaving.

If Mathurin were still on the team, Wagler likely would’ve come off the bench given Mathurin’s new contract, his familiarity with the team, and his strong numbers next to Darius Garland at the end of last season.

There is still a chance that Wagler comes off the bench in favor of Max Strus, who was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason, but Wagler and Strus are starting from the same position as new players on the team.

Wagler spent one season at Illinois, averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 44% shooting from the field and 39% from three. He was selected with the thought that he could play off-ball next to Garland as she showed better off-ball ability in college than other guards who were selected just after him.

The Clippers might not want to give Wagler too much responsibility in his first season, especially if they are hoping to still compete even after trading Kawhi Leonard, so there is still a chance they ease him in by bringing him off the bench.

If that is the case, Strus becomes a top beneficiary since he would likely grab the starting spot and see his role increased.

Garland may not outright benefit from the loss of Mathurin because it does put more pressure on him as one of the two lead scorers with Brandon Ingram, but without Mathurin, Garland will have the ball in his hands more and the opportunity to create.