The New Orleans Pelicans are considering going after Los Angeles Clippers free agent forward Bennedict Mathurin. Could they pivot to Atlanta Hawks wing Jonathan Kuminga?
The New Orleans Pelicans have been connected to Los Angeles Clipper free agent Bennedict Mathurin, but they could need to keep their options open as there is a bit of a heavy market.
If they want someone who could pretty much accomplish the same thing and is in a similar situation, they could pivot to Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga instead. They aren't the same player, but they are both essentially the same age and are at comparable cr
Kuminga wasn't exactly as good on offense last season, but he makes up for it with some extra size and rebounding ability.
The 23-year-old put up 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per night on 46.3/33.3/72.4 shooting splits. It was a year that made it clear that the Golden State Warriors waited too long to move on from him.
The Warriors wanted to include him in the framework of a trade that landed them Trey Murphy, but the Pelicans weren't too keen on the idea. That doesn't mean that New Orleans doesn't want Kuminga, but there's no debating that he would be a worthy return for Murphy. Pairing the two together, though, could be fun.
Overall, though, his short stint with the Hawks showed what he could do in a new environment, and the results are great. He had active hands on defense and has remained a good rebounder over the past couple of years.
It was a 16-game sample size, but Atlanta was 9.7 points better on defense than New Orleans last year. He does have other years where he had a positive defensive impact. Give him the mentorship of this Pelicans coaching staff and perhaps they can uncover a gem in an embattled player.
The biggest issue is that he isn't a good three-point shooter. He doesn't have a great volume and doesn't have consistent accuracy. The thing is, though, neither does Mathurin. He's a little bit better, but neither player would make New Orleans any more of a threat from deep.
One thing that does complicate things is a sign-and-trade. Can the Pelicans get the $20 million mark that Kuminga wants while also moving players that Atlanta would actually be interested in? Jordan Poole has a $34 million contract, and Jordan Hawkins is making $7 million. Just moving Hawkins wouldn't give them enough while also staying under the luxury tax.
