Bennedict Mathurin agreed to a two-year $16 million deal that includes a player option with the New Orleans Pelicans, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Even factoring in concerns surrounding Mathurin's overall impact on winning as a one-dimensional score-first player, this was an absolute steal for the Pelicans.
Still, Charania reported via X that this was also a move that Mathurin strategically viewed to be in his long-term interest, with that player option giving him flexibility to enter unrestricted free agency.
"Mathurin’s reps approached the Clippers about withdrawing his $8.8M qualifying offer, effectively turning the QO into a more favorable situation in New Orleans with added security. Mathurin prioritized flexibility and the earliest path to unrestricted free agency next summer versus longer term offers with larger total commitments but greater team control," Charania said.
This is the type of low-risk, high-reward move by New Orleans that the Blazers new owner Tom Dundon has a history of making, dating back to his success in turning around the NHL Carolina Hurricanes coming off their Stanley Cup trophy. And of course, the first blockbuster in Portland being a similar blueprint in the Ja Morant deal with Memphis that required no draft capital for a former two-time All-Star.
Mathurin wasn't the same career trajectory, someone who doesn't have quite the same star peak but also has a more linear development. But like Portland with Morant, New Orleans is hoping that this low-risk move turns into them stealing a key piece of their rebuild.
That said, the downside of the Morant deal that the Blazers are currently experiencing is a backcourt logjam. Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe have been named as potential trade candidates to watch this season, though the latter is now sidelined for six months with a meniscus tear. And although Portland made it clear since acquiring Morant that they intend to keep Holiday, rumors surrounding a buyout somehow circulated on NBA Twitter - the most reliable place on the internet!
Fortunately, those strange Holiday buyout rumors were shot down on The Stein Line. But the point remains: Portland's flier on Morant should have teams in need of backcourt help's attention.
Blazers should revisit Trey Murphy trade talks after Pelicans sign Bennedict Mathurin
The same logic applies to the Pelicans' recent flier on a former top ten pick in Mathurin. Maybe he just uses this as leverage to enter unrestricted free agency. But what if everything goes according to plan for New Orleans, and he does become a key part of their ascending young core at 24 years old?
That could make the Pelicans' front office more open to moving on from current trade candidates Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.
Both two-way wings have survived trade rumors to this point, as New Orleans maintains a steep asking price despite its underwhelming season. Perhaps that stance changes with Mathurin in the equation as a potential replacement?
A downgrade from a talent perspective, but maybe one that the Pelicans are more willing to make because they believe they won the trade in terms of net assets. Suddenly Mathurin for cheap, plus multiple first-round picks for Murphy gives New Orleans much more to think about in terms of how they want to navigate what has been a confusing rebuild up until this point.
Similarly, teams may understand and be confused by Portland's reasoning behind the Morant trade, brining him into what was already a crowded backcourt with Lillard back in the mix. They don't have to understand the vision to know that eventually something has to give.
While teams in need of point guards wait to see how the situation in Portland unfolds this season, a similar approach can be said for New Orleans' wing situation.
Given where the two teams are in the Western Conference playoff picture, it makes far more sense for the Pelicans to be the team to trade an up-and-coming piece to take another step back. Portland needs to see if it can somehow use that situation to its advantage to come away with a key piece of New Orleans' young core, whether that's Jones or, ideally, Murphy.
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