The Portland Trail Blazers walked away from this trade deadline with minimal movement-and that’s starting to look like a missed opportunity, especially when you zoom in on one name: Bennedict Mathurin.
While much of the league’s attention was focused on bigger names and blockbuster rumors, the Los Angeles Clippers made a stealthy, high-upside move by acquiring Mathurin from the Indiana Pacers in a deal that centered around Ivica Zubac. Here’s what the full trade looked like:
Clippers receive: Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, one second-round pick
Pacers receive: Ivica Zubac, Kobe Brown
At first glance, the focus might be on the draft capital or the established presence of Zubac heading to Indiana. But take a closer look, and it’s Mathurin who stands out as the potential long-term difference-maker-especially for a team like Portland that’s still trying to define its post-Damian Lillard identity.
Let’s talk about what the Blazers missed here.
Mathurin, the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is just 23 years old and already showing signs of real growth. This season, he’s averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in nearly 32 minutes per game-all career highs.
He’s not just putting up numbers; he’s evolving, gradually becoming more than just a scorer. And for a rebuilding team like Portland, that’s exactly the kind of player you want to roll the dice on.
We’ve seen this before. Portland passed on Jaden Ivey in the 2022 draft, and now that decision has aged poorly.
The same logic applies here. These are the types of buy-low, high-upside swings that can change the trajectory of a franchise.
Mathurin may not be a perfect fit on paper-there’s some positional overlap with Shaedon Sharpe-but the Blazers aren’t in a position to nitpick. They need talent, period.
Right now, Portland’s core is frontcourt-heavy. Deandre Ayton, Jabari Walker, and Toumani Camara are all interesting pieces, but the backcourt remains a question mark beyond Sharpe and rookie Scoot Henderson, who’s still finding his footing. Adding another dynamic, shot-creating guard like Mathurin could’ve helped stabilize that group while giving the team another potential star to develop.
So why didn’t it happen?
One reason may be financial. Mathurin is on a $9.2 million expiring deal, and Indiana likely wasn’t interested in letting him walk for nothing or paying him a hefty extension. That uncertainty could’ve made Portland hesitant, especially given GM Joe Cronin’s recent preference for players on longer-term contracts-like Deni Avdija or Vit Krejci.
But here’s the thing: Portland had ways to make the money work. They could’ve moved off veterans like Jerami Grant or Jrue Holiday (before he was flipped again), both of whom are solid contributors but don’t quite align with the team’s long-term rebuild. Flipping one of those pieces could’ve opened the door for Mathurin-and possibly given the Blazers a clearer path toward building something sustainable around their young core.
Instead, the Blazers played it safe. They brought in Krejci, a capable shooter who can help space the floor, but doesn’t bring the same ceiling or star potential.
It’s a fine move in a vacuum, but Portland isn’t operating in a vacuum. They’re in a loaded Western Conference, and “fine” doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to climb out of the lottery and back into relevance.
Bottom line: this deadline was a missed opportunity for Portland, and Mathurin might be the one that got away. In a league where young, controllable talent is gold, the Blazers had a chance to add a 23-year-old former lottery pick who’s trending up-and they passed.
If Mathurin blossoms in Los Angeles, this could be one of those what-if moments that lingers in Portland for years to come.