New Orleans Pelicans fans may be ready to welcome Bennedict Mathurin, but the move is still not official. The paperwork isn’t done yet, and the biggest holdup appears to be on the Los Angeles Clippers’ side.
NBA insider Jake Fischer said on a Bleacher Report live stream that the Clippers have not yet rescinded Mathurin’s qualifying offer. That runs against an earlier report from Keith Smith, who said the QO had already been pulled back. Fischer made clear that, as of just before the stream, that was not the case.
“I have it confirmed as of right before we went on air that the Clippers, at this time, have not formally rescinded the qualifying offer for Bennedict Mathurin,” said Fischer.
Until that changes, Mathurin still isn’t officially on the Pelicans roster. New Orleans is waiting on the corresponding move to get everything finalized, and the Clippers could still extract something in return if they choose to play hardball.
That possibility matters even more after Wednesday’s punishment in the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration case, when the league stripped Los Angeles of five first-round picks. With draft capital suddenly at a premium, the Clippers could now be looking to squeeze out a couple of second-rounders from New Orleans just to clear the way.
The Pelicans also have work to do on their end. They need to make a trade to complete the deal, and they were already prepared to do that anyway. New Orleans is still above the roster limit and over the tax line, so a move with the Clippers would help simplify the process.
One possible framework would send Jordan Hawkins and two second-round picks to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade. Hawkins is making roughly one million less than what Mathurin’s new deal would cost next season, which makes him a clean fit in that kind of swap.
If the Clippers don’t want Hawkins, there’s also the chance he gets flipped to a third team. Another club might be willing to take a shot on him.
However it gets done, New Orleans is clearly intent on landing Mathurin. The Pelicans have wanted him for a long time, and they’re not about to let him get away.
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