Pelicans' Bennedict Mathurin Interest Misses the Mark

The New Orleans Pelicans have stood pat the entire offseason. It has been a month since free agency officially started, and the Pelicans have yet to make a signing or a trade.

While Pelicans fans desperately hope that changes soon, the reported targets of the front office raise questions about its vision. Even though new faces on a team that went 26-56 last season will be welcome, there is a chance it could also be subtraction by addition.

That is the risk with Bennedict Mathurin, who the Pelicans are reportedly pursuing.

Bennedit Mathurin Would Solve None of the Pelicans' Problems

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Monday night that the Pelicans have "shown recent interest in Mathurin" and that there has been recent dialogue between the Pelicans and the restricted free agent's camp.

This isn't the first time the Pelicans have been connected to Mathurin. In last year's trade deadline, there were rumors about a trade between the Pacers and the Pelicans around a Mathurin-for-Yves Missi swap. These talks didn't lead anywhere, and Mathurin ended up being in the trade with the Clippers that landed Ivica Zubac in Indiana.

The pursuit of Mathurin makes as little sense now as it did back then. The needs of the Pelicans are obvious. They need to upgrade defensively, add more size, physicality, and athleticism, and improve the shooting on the team.

Mathurin doesn't help in any of these fronts. He is an offense-first shooting guard with a questionable jump shot and an even more questionable defense. He is a good scorer who can get to the rim at ease, finish through contact, and live at the free-throw line. He is a solid cutter, so he can play off the ball, but he doesn't provide enough spacing.

For a team that has Zion Williamson, Jeremiah Fears, and Derik Queen, that is a problem. The Pelicans don't need more score-first options who are trying to attack the basket every time they touch the ball. Mathurin doesn't move the ball or create shots for his teammates; he tries to finish the play. New Orleans doesn't have the spacing to fully optimize Mathurin's skill set.

The Pelicans arguably have the worst center rotation in the league. Yves Missi is the only traditional center expected to be in the rotation next season. They were a horrible rebounding and rim-protecting team last season.

Instead of adding a center, the Pelicans are trying to sign-and-trade for Mathurin.

Even if the Pelicans decide that they would rather sign a perimeter player than a center because they want to give Queen and Karlo Matkovic a look at the five, they should have better options than Mathurin.

They could go after an elite shooter on the trade market. Or they could chase a bigger wing who has high-end physical and athletic tools and can help defensively.

What they are trying to accomplish by pursuing Mathurin is unclear. Let's hope that it doesn't look even worse because of what they have to give up to acquire him.

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