Fifth-year NBA veteran Bennedict Mathurin agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, according to league insider Shams Charania of ESPN. Mathurin reportedly chose this two-year deal over other longer-term offers, prioritizing "flexibility and the earliest path to unrestricted free agency next summer. "The Pelicans have aggressively pursued Mathurin for over a year and view him as a significant part of their young core while the deal also keeps New Orleans below the luxury tax line this season," Charania reported.
Mathurin entered the league as the Indiana Pacers' No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Canadian guard/forward has averaged 16.2 points per game for his career thus far. Mathurin landed with the Los Angeles Clippers in a midseason trade last year.
In his home debut with the team, he dropped a career-high 38 points off the bench in a win over the Denver Nuggets. Mathurin now joins a New Orleans roster featuring Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen and more.
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