The Portland Trail Blazers should regret their trade deadline inactivity in general. But one specific player they will be kicking themselves about missing out on is Bennedict Mathurin. The Los Angeles Clippers quietly stole Mathurin in a trade with the Indiana Pacers that was headlined by Ivica Zubac.
Here was the deal in full, per ESPN's Shams Charania:
Clippers receive: Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick
Pacers receive: Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown
Blazers should have targeted Bennedict Mathurin's upside at deadline
While we applaud the Pacers ' aggression as a team looking to get back to winning next season after this gap year without Tyrese Haliburton, this was a steep price to pay for Zubac. The amount of draft capital is the main takeaway, but don't overlook Mathurin's value.
The University of Arizona product was the No. 6 overall selection in 2022 and has plenty of untapped potential at just 23 years old. He's gradually improved each season, averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 31.8 minutes per game, all of which are career highs.
The same reasons we thought the Blazers missed out on Jaden Ivey can also be applied to Mathurin. These are the type of buy-low opportunities that Portland needs to pursue to add a young high-upside player to their young core.
There's admittedly some overlap between Mathurin and Shaedon Sharpe as score-first guards. However, the Blazers' true building blocks lie in their frontcourt, while questions remain in their backcourt. It would be beneficial for Portland to gather as many of these high-ceiling players as possible and increase its odds of having a star emerge in the backcourt.
One reason Mathurin was a trade candidate was his $9.2 million expiring salary, as the Pacers didn't want to let him walk for nothing or sign him to a massive new deal. That likely played a role in Portland's decision to look elsewhere, as general manager Joe Cronin tends to acquire players on longer deals (such as Deni Avdija or Vit Krejci).
But those financial concerns could've easily gone away had the Blazers moved one of Jerami Grant or Jrue Holiday at the deadline -- two players who don't fit the rebuilding timeline as well as Mathurin does.
This was an underwhelming trade deadline for Portland. Krejci is a solid addition and will help their shooting woes, but his ceiling is limited for a number of reasons. The Blazers still need more star power to contend in the Western Conference, and taking a flyer on a recent top-ten pick like Mathurin certainly would've helped them close the gap.