The Pelicans didn’t exactly blow up the roster this summer, but Bennedict Mathurin gives them something they badly needed: another player who can create offense on his own.
That alone makes the move worth watching. New Orleans has been doubted by almost everyone to make it out of the lottery in 2026-27, so landing one of the league’s top free agents is a real boost for a team looking for any kind of spark. Mathurin is that kind of addition - the sort that can change the feel of a lineup without forcing the whole roster to be rebuilt around him.
At 24, and with a reported price tag of two years and $16 million, the Pelicans are making a pretty sensible wager on talent. Mathurin is coming off career-best numbers, averaging 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 54 games split between Indiana and the Los Angeles Clippers. The sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has already shown he can be a real offensive weapon.
The selling point is easy to see. Mathurin attacks downhill, welcomes contact, and can pile up points fast.
He adds another aggressive scorer next to Zion Williamson, Jeremiah Fears, and Dejounte Murray. That gives New Orleans some flexibility, too.
He can start, come off the bench and provide instant offense, or help steady things when Williamson or Trey Murphy sits.
He’s also done it when the games mattered. During Indiana’s 2025 NBA Finals run, Mathurin poured in 27 points in 22 minutes off the bench in Game 3 against Oklahoma City. That kind of burst is exactly what a Pelicans team needs when the offense bogs down outside its top options.
But the upside comes with real questions.
Mathurin shot 43 percent overall and 31.5 percent from three last season. His three-point numbers were better in Indiana, where he hit 37.2 percent of his attempts over 28 games, but they fell hard after he joined the Clippers, where he made just 20.7 percent. For his career, he’s at 33.6 percent from deep.
That’s a concern because more than 35 percent of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc. New Orleans needs spacing, and Mathurin hasn’t consistently delivered it.
His 48.5 effective field-goal percentage was below league average, too. He can finish at the rim and has a useful midrange game, but the overall package hasn’t yet translated into an efficient offensive player.
Fit is part of the conversation as well. The Pelicans’ perimeter group already includes Murray, Fears, Herb Jones, Murphy, Saddiq Bay, and Jordan Poole.
Mathurin needs the ball to get the most out of his scoring, yet he averaged only 2.4 assists. On the other end, he has to show he can work in smaller lineups instead of making their defensive issues worse.
Even with those concerns, the move makes sense. Mathurin is young, athletic, and capable of putting pressure on the rim without costing New Orleans a huge amount.
The Pelicans don’t need him to be their best player this season. They need him to be a better, cleaner version of what he already is.
If the shooting sharpens, the decision-making improves, and the defense comes along, this could end up looking like a bargain. If not, he may just become another talented piece that doesn’t quite fit.
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