The New Orleans Pelicans have added another name to an already packed roster, and Bennedict Mathurin’s two-year, $16 million deal is the kind of move that forces a hard conversation. Someone has to come out of the mix, and the strongest case is for Saddiq Bey to be the odd man out.
Bey has plenty going for him. He’s a good player, and he just turned in a career year with New Orleans last season, averaging 17.7 points per game while knocking down 37.6 percent of his three-pointers.
He’s also affordable, carrying a $6.6 million salary this season, and he’s in the final year of his contract. That combination usually puts a player in one of two buckets: extension candidate or trade chip.
With Mathurin now in the fold, the Pelicans should lean toward the second option.
This isn’t really a knock on Bey. It’s more about fit and math.
New Orleans already has a crowded rotation, and Mathurin’s arrival doesn’t seem to push him into the starting five. Herb Jones would likely start at shooting guard, with Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson occupying the forward spots.
That would leave Mathurin to earn his minutes off the bench - and trading Bey would make that path cleaner.
There are other ways New Orleans could clear space, but they come with problems. Waiving Jordan Poole has been floated before, but that doesn’t save the Pelicans any money.
Trading him would be better, though it’s fair to wonder who would actually take him. Jordan Hawkins is another possible trade candidate, and his $7 million salary would more than cover Mathurin’s deal, but it’s hard to know whether a team would even part with a second-round pick for him.
Bey gives New Orleans a more practical route. Because his salary is modest, a trade wouldn’t saddle another team with much financial weight, and the Pelicans could look to bring back draft picks in return. That matters, especially if the front office wants to keep adding flexibility for future moves.
Given the season Bey just had and the number on his contract, there should be real interest. And with Mathurin now on the roster, the cleanest answer may be to move Bey, open up more minutes for the new signing, and come away with extra draft capital in the process.
In Other News...
Pelicans Frontcourt Suddenly Carries Real Hope Into A Crucial Season
Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic have been giving the Pelicans something to file away for later, and maybe sooner than expected, with strong showings in international qualifying play that offered a glimpse of the frontcourt traits New Orleans is hoping to lean on. For a team that has spent too much time sorting through availability issues and uneven roster fits, seeing two young bigs show real promise on a bigger stage only adds to the sense that this group may finally have some useful depth inside.
The larger picture around New Orleans looks more encouraging, too, with Zion Williamson focused on offseason fitness, Trey Murphy III adding muscle ahead of what he hopes becomes an All-Star season, and Herb Jones back to full health. Under new head coach Jamahl Mosley, the Pelicans can see a frontcourt that is young, deep and potentially better equipped to drive a turnaround, even if the familiar caveat still hangs over everything - health and consistency will decide how real that optimism becomes. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Are Still Betting On One Risky Offseason Strategy
The Pelicans offseason has been more about continuity than overhaul, with the front office keeping most of the roster intact and placing a significant bet on a new coaching staff to unlock better results. There is reason for some optimism in the additions of Bennedict Mathurin and Trendon Watford, both of whom bring offensive potential, but the larger picture still points to a group that looks a lot like last seasons team.
New Orleans still has the same questions hanging over it, especially from beyond the arc, around the rim and in the harder-to-quantify areas of toughness and physicality. For this approach to pay off, the Pelicans will need more than just incremental growth from individual players, because the roster moves on their own do not fully solve the problems that have kept this team from taking the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Just Made A Bennedict Mathurin Move Fans Need To See
The Clippers have taken a notable step in the Bennedict Mathurin sweepstakes by withdrawing the qualifying offer, which pushes him into unrestricted free agency and clears the path for New Orleans to move quickly. Mathurin has already agreed to a two-year contract with the Pelicans, giving the team another young piece to work with as it continues shaping the roster around its next phase.
New Orleans still has some housekeeping left before the season begins, though, because the standard contract limit means another roster move will be required to get everything into place. For a team trying to balance flexibility with upside, the Mathurin addition is the kind of swing that can matter, but the final ripple effects will depend on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]