The New Orleans Pelicans boss is excited to add Bennedict Mathurin.
The New Orleans Pelicans have long wanted to add Bennedict Mathurin to their roster, and they have finally done everything they needed to pull off the move.
The Pelicans are going to need him to not only live up to expectations but surpass them. If he does well enough, the team could reward him with an extension that pairs him up long-term with Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, as his youth helps him fit with both timelines.
Dumars had an interesting quote about Mathurin, as the team announced the signing was finally happening, which suggests that they certainly view him as more than a one-year flier.
“He embodies the toughness and competitiveness we want our team to play with every night, and his mental and physical approach aligns with the culture we are building,” said the New Orleans boss.
That matches what has been said about the plan for some time now. They want to add toughness to this team. It's the main complaint that he had about last year's team, which made this offseason's inaction all the more confusing.
It also doesn't really match the reputation that Mathurin has, at least on defense. Perhaps this coaching staff feels like they have what it takes to fully unlock Mathurin's potential. He certainly has the frame to be a good defender at 6-foot-6 and a plus wingspan, but that's made it more frustrating that the results on that end of the floor haven't really come.
There have been years with positive marks, at least. The Indiana Pacers were 2.1 points better with him on the court in 2024/2025, but were 3.4 points worse the year before and 4.6 the year after.
At worst, he'll be more of a defensive asset than the Pelicans were going to get from Jordan Hawkins or Jordan Poole, whose minutes Mathurin will bleed into. On top of that, he should offer a far steadier hand on offense.
The 24-year-old put up 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last year on 43.0/31.5/86.9 shooting splits last year between his two teams. He shot 37.2% from three on 5.6 attempts per game before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, which would be a massive boon for the team with just that.
It'll be fun to watch how Mathurin fits in with the group. He will have to prove to have been worth moving on from a promising young player in Micah Peavy in order to pull off the signing. Not a huge loss, but one that could get brought up again if the defense doesn't improve.
