Bennedict Mathurin could give the Hawks another scorer, but his shooting numbers and expected contract make an aggressive pursuit difficult to justify.
The Atlanta Hawks have been linked to almost every big name this summer, but there hasn't been much of a connection to Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin.
That's a good thing.
Sure, there must be some temptation to pursue Mathurin. In theory, he's the type of shot maker the Hawks will need on a long-term basis. At 24, he's got a chance to grow with this team's core.
But any pursuit should be halted by the contract he's expecting.
Hawks Can't Overpay for Mathurin
Let's talk about Mathurin as a player.
Nobody can question his scoring ability. In 2025-26, he averaged 17.6 points per game. Mathurin has never met a shot he didn't like, and he can hit seemingly impossible jumpers no matter how he's contested.
He's not much of a playmaker, averaging 1.9 assists per game over his career, but that's fine for a Hawks team that runs its offense through Jalen Johnson. Mathurin can be an effective on-ball defender, but he does have a habit of getting lost off-ball.
Yet, even that isn't the fatal flaw that should dissuade the Hawks.
That would be his three-point efficiency.
Last season, Mathurin hit 31.5% of his threes. He's at 33.6% for his career. If he can't be a league-average floor spacer when Johnson has the ball, he won't be much of a complement to him.
Even still, at the right price, he'd be worth a flyer.
But the Hawks probably won't be able to get him for the right price.
Hawks Won't Pry Mathurin From Clippers for Cheap
As it stands, Mathurin is a restricted free agent.
The Clippers can make him a qualifying offer of roughly $9 million to retain the right to match an offer sheet from another team. That's where things get difficult for Atlanta.
A modest offer isn't going to get the job done. Los Angeles could simply match it.
For the Hawks to actually pry Mathurin away, they'd likely need to offer enough money to make the Clippers uncomfortable or work out a sign-and-trade. If Mathurin is looking for something in the neighborhood of $20 million per year, Atlanta would be making a significant commitment.
And he isn't worth it.
At least, not right now.
The Hawks shouldn't be desperate to add talent. They have plenty of it. Mathurin is a talented player, and there's a world where he's easily worth $20 million or more in a season or two.
Still, it's at least equally likely that money ends up looking like an overpay.
Why should the Hawks bail the Clippers out of a bad deal?
Atlanta also has to think about fit. Mathurin would give the Hawks another player who can create his own shot, but the shooting numbers matter when Johnson is going to have the ball so often. Paying a premium for a guard who has shot 33.6% from three for his career isn't an obvious solution.
If Mathurin becomes a more reliable shooter, that's a different conversation. The scoring is already there.
For now, the price and the fit don't line up well enough.
The best thing this organization can do is stay the course. The Hawks need to build around the talent they have unless a blockbuster acquisition is too good to pass on.
Luckily, they've given us every indication that's what they'll do this summer.
They haven't acquired too big a name yet.
