The Bennedict Mathurin market is getting busier, and the Los Angeles Clippers are still stuck waiting for the rest of their offseason to come into focus.
Restricted free agency has not moved for Mathurin, but interest around him has picked up again. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the New Orleans Pelicans are back in the picture, and an unnamed team has also joined the conversation.
Fischer said New Orleans had been the most aggressive team on Mathurin during the season, when Indiana was weighing whether to move the young wing before February’s trade deadline. At that point, the Pacers were exploring his market before eventually finishing the blockbuster trade with the Clippers that centered around Ivica Zubac.
“There's been little in terms of fresh rumbles regarding Mathurin's situation,” Fischer wrote. “Sources say that the Pelicans showed the strongest trade interest in Mathurin during the season - back when Indiana was exploring Mathurin's market before February's trade deadline until the deal with the Clippers that ultimately made Ivica Zubac a Pacer - but I'm told that New Orleans has not been involved to date in Mathurin's restricted free agency.”
That was the initial read. Then The Stein Line followed with an editor’s note Monday night that changed the picture.
“Editor's Note as of Monday at 11:30 PM ET: After the publication of this story, The Stein Line heard from two sources that our Intel needed to be updated because the Pelicans - as they did before the trade deadline - have indeed shown recent interest in Mathurin as well as an unnamed second suitor. League sources relayed that there has been recent dialogue between New Orleans and Mathurin's camp.”
For the Clippers, the delay is tied to a much bigger issue. Los Angeles is still waiting on the trade that would send franchise star Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors, and until that is resolved, the team has been limited in how much else it can do to shape the roster.
Mathurin’s path to Los Angeles came through the deal that sent Zubac and Kobe Brown to Indiana. In return, the Clippers received the former Pacers lottery pick, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks in 2026 and 2029, and a second-round selection.
Since landing with the Clippers, the 23-year-old has put up 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while taking on a bigger offensive load. His three-point shooting has slipped, but his scoring and age still make him a player teams want to get in on early.
With the Pelicans back in the hunt and another team lurking, Mathurin’s free agency looks like one of the next situations that could break once the Clippers finally get clarity on Leonard and the rest of their offseason plans.
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