Why Bennedict Mathurin’s Fit for Clippers Makes More Sense Than It Did for Pacers

When the Pacers took Bennedict Mathurin sixth in the 2022 draft, it felt like one of those “This is the guy” moments. This was their highest pick in nearly 25 seasons, when they selected Rik Smits second overall. Every Pacers fan immediately talked themselves into the Haliburton–Mathurin backcourt as the next long-term thing. This duo wasn't going to be just good, but they were going to be so good you started dreaming about them leading the Pacers to multiple deep playoff runs, just like Reggie Miller and Rik Smits did.

Then the rookie year happened.

Mathurin comes off the bench and just starts lighting people up. Twenty-plus in 27 games, with two games in the thirties.

I was in the building for the early season game against Denver, with my podcast co-host, Mike Facci.

Mathurin dropped 30 points, going 6-9 from deep, in one of those “Okay, this guy’s for real” games. He had irrational confidence that Pacers fans hadn't seen from a rookie since Reggie Miller. Mathurin wasn't easing into the league, he was coming in with a head full of steam. Paul George was raw. Danny Granger was polished. Rik Smits was even-keeled. Mathurin? He said LeBron needed to prove he was better than him. That’s a different type of energy.

But here’s the thing about team-building in the modern NBA: fit always wins...eventually.

Year two, he gets the starting nod next to Bruce Brown and Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers go 7–5 during that stretch, then Rick Carlisle decided that Buddy Hield was a better fit, and Mathurin becomes the sixth man. Then after two midseason trades that saw Brown and Hield exit, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith were awarded the starting positions.

These two defend, make playoff plays, signed team-friendly extensions, and they fit next to Haliburton and Siakam with floor spacing and secondary ball handling.

At some point you look up and realize: Mathurin does have the highest ceiling of the bunch, but he’s not ever going to start here with Nembhard and Nesmith on the roster, and restricted free agency is looming.

That’s when front offices start doing math (no pun intended), and has to find the best way to make a crowded guard-forward room more balanced.

The trade deadline nears, and Indiana makes the move. Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two firsts, and a second, to the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown. This is a trade both fan bases talk themselves into immediately, as all the pieces involved make sense for both teams.

This move likely doesn't happen if the Clippers hadn't traded James Harden for Darius Garland. But, that move closed the door on the Harden-Kawhi era, and the Clippers pivoted to a younger group. Garland was hurt, and with Harden gone, Kawhi needed scoring help. Who better to play alongside him than the guy who’s never seen a shot he didn’t think he could make?

Mathurin’s still technically coming off the bench for Ty Lue, but averaging almost 31 a night. In a four-game stretch he’s putting up 22 a game, five boards, three assists, two steals, on solid efficiency. Coming out of the All-Star break, Mathurin dropped 38 against Denver, going twelve of thirteen at the line. and ten of sixteen from the field. That's not sixth man production, that's starter level.

After the win, Mathurin told reporters that Ty Lue "might end up being his best friend". Which shows the trust these two have already established early into Mathurin's Clippers tenure.

Bennedict Mathurin on Ty Lue:

“He might end up being my best friend… I feel like he really knows my game. He really knows what I can do. Glad to have him as a coach… We can do a lot of great things.” pic.twitter.com/AGQQuyLqnl
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) February 20, 2026

The Pacers system was always a little bit tight for Mathurin. It was a system predicated on ball movement, pace-and-space, and read-and-react. Mathurin's more, “I see the rim and I’m going there.” That doesn’t make him wrong, it just means he needed a place to play that way, and now he has it.

Indiana didn’t move Mathurin because he wasn’t good enough, they moved him because Nembhard and Nesmith proved they were playoff starters. If you’re trying to build around Haliburton and Siakam in their primes, you pick the guys you trust the most, specifically on both sides of the floor.

For the Clippers, though? This is exactly the kind of swing you take. Kawhi is still playing like a top-three guy when healthy, Garland increases the pace, and Mathurin gives you downhill scoring with irrational belief. A Garland–Mathurin backcourt with Kawhi at the three? That’s intriguing.

With free agency’s coming, the Clippers get a live audition the remainder of the season to see how Mathurin fits into their future plans. The rest of the league gets to see what he looks like in a bigger role in a different system.

For Indiana, if Zubac ends up starring in his role next to Halburton and Siakam, this trade was worth it all. And for Los Angeles, if Mathurin blossoms into a 20-plus scorer in a starting role, this is a win-win trade for all parties.

The verdict is still out on both sides, but the early returns on Mathurin’s fit in Los Angeles make this look promising

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.