Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin Posts Strong Message on Social Media

Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) reacts during the first half of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Swingman Bennedict Mathurin might be the Indiana Pacers player with the most to lose in 2025-26.

The 23-year-old Arizona product is eligible for an extension on his rookie-scale contract ahead of the regular season, and otherwise will be playing to maximize the money he might fetch in restricted free agency.

Across 72 regular season contests for the 50-32 Pacers last year, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard/small forward averaged 16.1 points on .458/.340/.831 shooting splits, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 steals a night.

Mathurin, fully relegated to a reserve role, saw his playoff output reduced a bit from that regular season play. In 17.5 minutes per during his first-ever playoff experience (an injury kept him sidelined for the entirety of Indiana's 2024 run to the Eastern Conference Finals), Mathurin averaged 11.0 points while slashing .459/.300/.864, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per.

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Now, with two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton already shelved for the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from an Achilles tendon tear suffering during Indiana's seven-game NBA Finals defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mathurin will have an expanded role in Indiana this season.

Starting shooting guard Andrew Nembhard is being moved into Haliburton's starting point guard slot this year, and head coach Rick Carlisle has already indicated that the starting two-guard gig is Mathurin's to lose.

Is Mathurin Up to the Challenge This Season?

Mathurin seems to be amped for this fresh opportunity.

This weekend, Mathurin issued a strong video missive on his official Instagram account, possibly foreshadowing a breakout year.

"I had a dream growing up of making it to the NBA," Mathurin said on the video, a montage of his recent highlights. "I decided that it wasn't a dream anymore. It was gonna be what I do."

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"He's tough, he's legitimately tough," Rick Carlisle can be heard saying. "In a tough playoff series against a tough opponent like this, he fits into this."

Indiana without its best player or a true replacement for departed free agent starting center Myles Turner is not expected to return to the NBA Finals next summer. But Mathurin appears ready to at least take his next leap as a major contributor.

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