Here are three reasons why Los Angeles Clippers free agent Bennedict Mathurin makes sense for the New Orleans Pelicans.
The New Orleans Pelicans were recently connected to Los Angeles Clippers restricted free agent wing Bennedict Mathurin, an interesting potential swing for what has been a quiet offseason.
Mathurin was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. This is a very talented player who is simply without a home and could be a valuable addition to a team that is trying to find its footing.
The 24-year-old posted 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season. He spent half the year starting for the Indiana Pacers and the other half as the sixth man for the Clippers.
If Los Angeles doesn't match the deal, or is open to a sign-and-trade, it's something that could make sense for the Pelicans. Focusing on the positives, here are three reasons why Mathurin would be a smart addition for New Orleans:
Almost Guaranteed To Generate Offense
There are a lot of things about Mathurin's game that aren't perfect. The bottom line, though, is that he knows how to put up points. Anyone who has watched the Pelicans over the last two years knows that that is not guaranteed.
The 24-year-old is a two-level scorer, though, which is where it conflicts for New Orleans. If they brought him into the mix, they would either need his jump shot to come around or to fully commit to adding shooting around him.
Offers More Future Than Current Guard Depth
There is a real path forward for the Pelicans involving just building around Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. If they were to do that, Mathurin provides an option as a shooting guard next to Fears. As mentioned previously, they would need the other two starters in that scenario to be very strong shooters if that were to ever happen.
As for now, though, the current guard depth is Jordan Poole and Jordan Hawkins. Neither of those players is in the long-term plans for the franchise and might not even be in the immediate plans. Mathurin offers far more upside than either of them.
Good Rebounder For Position
One area that Mathurin cannot be challenged on is rebounding. That is something that New Orleans desperately needs off the bench, and Mathurin would provide it at a spot that currently does not have strong rebounding skills.
The Clippers guard was in the 75th percentile for offensive rebounding and the 79th percentile for defensive rebounding among wings in the NBA last season, per Cleaning The Glass.
