Bennedict Mathurin's Clippers Future Gets More Complicated With Each Game

While the Los Angeles Clippers are understandably laser-focused on the postseason race, there is a fascinating offseason drama brewing in the background. The team will have a ton of key decisions over the summer, and one of the most notable ones will be about the future of Bennedict Mathurin.

When the Clippers acquired Mathurin as part of the Ivica Zubac trade with the Indiana Pacers, they envisioned him as a potential third option behind Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard. The dynamic scorer could give the Clippers' offense a boost off the bench, and the front office would evaluate him until the end of the season before making a decision about his future.

Bennedict Mathurin's Inconsistency Is Becoming a Problem for the Clippers

Mathurin is entering restricted free agency. The Clippers will have the right to match any offer sheets in the summer. However, LA would certainly prefer to see more from Mathurin before making that determination.

Since joining the Clippers, Mathurin has been the same player we knew in Indiana. He has had big scoring games, but has been wildly inconsistent. He has also done very little outside of scoring.

The inconsistency makes it difficult for the Clippers to fully evaluate Mathurin. The 23-year-old shooting guard had a career-high 38-points in his home debut in LA. He had a five-game stretch where he scored at least 20 points in each game. Over the last week, however, he scored in double digits just once in four games. In that span, he averaged nine points on 34.5% from the field and had as many turnovers as assists.

Scoring is Mathurin's calling card. That is the thing he is supposed to be good at. But if he can't be trusted to give the Clippers almost 20 points off the bench night in and night out, it becomes difficult for him to have a large role. It's not like he is adding much in terms of shooting, passing, or defense.

This is why LA's offseason decision is a complicated one. On one hand, the Clippers need more young talent, and Mathurin clearly has some upside. On the other hand, paying Mathurin starter money for multiple years when he hasn't proven to be at that level yet could set the Clippers back. With Leonard and Garland on massive deals, the Clippers have to be savvy about the rest of their books. If Mathurin tops out as a microwave scorer type of sixth man, his next deal could be very unfriendly to the team.

The Clippers need to be willing to play hardball over the summer. There needs to be a walking-away price, even though the possibility of losing Mathurin for nothing might hurt. For that not to be the case, Mathurin has to either show a lot more consistency in scoring or do much more in other aspects of the game between now and the end of the Clippers season.