Bennedict Mathurin’s next deal came in well below the number he once had in mind, but it still lands him in New Orleans.
Mathurin agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Pelicans on August 26, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The second season carries a player option. Charania also reported that Mathurin’s camp asked the Los Angeles Clippers to rescind his $8.8 million qualifying offer, which took him out of the restricted market entirely.
That outcome looks a long way from where the conversation stood earlier in the year. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported in the fall that Mathurin was seeking somewhere in the range of $20 million to $30 million annually, while Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey projected a four-year extension around $95 million. Indiana, though, missed the Oct. 20 rookie-scale extension deadline, and Mathurin played out the final season of his four-year rookie deal worth more than $29.9 million, with about $9.2 million set for 2025-26.
Mathurin made it clear the deadline itself wasn’t going to dictate his mood.
"It's not that big of a deal, man," Mathurin said, in comments reported by Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.
His season with the Pacers had already been interrupted by injuries. Rick Carlisle had penciled him in as a starter over the summer with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year after Achilles surgery.
Then a sprained big toe in his right foot cost Mathurin 11 games after his first two appearances. When he came back in mid-November, he put up 16.6 points per game over the next month and a half before a sprained right thumb sidelined him for another 11 games.
Indiana eventually moved him on Feb. 5, sending Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a protected 2026 first-round pick, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.
Mathurin’s production picked up after the trade. In 26 games with the Clippers, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 28.0 minutes per game while shooting 20.7% from three.
He announced himself quickly in his debut, dropping 38 points off the bench in a 115-114 win over the Nuggets. He also finished the play-in loss to the Golden State Warriors with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-6 from deep.
Over the full 54-game stretch between the two teams, Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 43.0% from the field and 31.5% from three.
The Clippers had tendered the qualifying offer on June 29, but his market never fully took off. Marc Stein reported this month that Mathurin had been in talks with New Orleans, Chicago, and Milwaukee. When the Pelicans deal came together, he was one of two unsigned restricted free agents left, alongside Detroit center Jalen Duren.
Indiana’s own financial picture helps explain the shape of the offseason around it. The Pacers had about $185 million committed for 2026-27 at the extension deadline and have not paid the luxury tax since 2005-06. This summer, Kelly Oubre Jr. signed a two-year deal worth nearly $17 million, and Larry Nance Jr. was added as another free-agent piece.
As for the pick package tied to the Zubac deal, Indiana’s 2026 first-rounder sent to the Lakers was protected 1-4 and 10-30. The Pacers finished 19-63, fifth in the lottery, and also no longer control their 2029 pick, which carries no protection.
Zubac, meanwhile, was slowed by injury as well. He missed 14 games with an ankle issue before making his debut on March 13, then appeared in five games and averaged 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 23.6 minutes before fracturing a rib against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 18. He remains under contract through 2027-28, with $19.5 million due in 2026-27 and $21 million the following season.
In Other News...
Pacers Just Unveiled A New Look Fans Will Have Strong Opinions On
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The jersey also carries familiar touches like the Jordan Brand logo and a Lucas Oil patch, folding a fresh design into the teams broader identity heading into the new season. Between the uniform unveiling, the games player ratings and the rest of the offseason churn, Indiana still has plenty of details keeping fans engaged before the next chapter begins. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Have One Final Roster Spot And A Real Rotation Decision
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The bigger question is whether Indiana needs to force the move at all. The Pacers are not in a place where they have to fill that last opening just to fill it, especially if the player would be more of a depth piece than someone who can stay on the floor when the games tighten up. In that sense, the front offices standard is clear: the final addition has to have a real path into the playoff rotation, not just a seat on the bench. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Nesmith Knows What The Pacers Must Fix After That Season
Aaron Nesmith is treating Indianas long offseason as more than just a reset after a taxing year. The forward said he plans to use the time to recover from injury and sharpen the parts of his game that can make him more reliable when the games matter most, especially his ball handling and decision-making. For a Pacers group that has already started reshaping the roster, that kind of individual self-scouting fits the broader tone around the franchise as it heads toward a season with clearer expectations.
Indiana has added Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr., and Rick Carlisle has already laid out a projected starting group for what comes next. Away from the court, the Pacers also kicked off the first Pacers Foundation Charity Softball Classic, with proceeds going to a food-insecurity program. The organization has plenty of moving parts right now, but Nesmiths offseason focus serves as a reminder that the biggest step forward may still depend on how much cleaner and more composed the group looks when meaningful games arrive. [Read more 🡒]