Pelicans' Bennedict Mathurin Signing Puts Young Guard on the Chopping Block

The New Orleans Pelicans' signing of Bennedict Mathurin injects a dynamic, downhill scoring option into the lineup, but it also creates a roster and financial logjam. New Orleans currently has 16 players on the roster and must shed one contract before the season starts.

Mathurin adds to an already crowded list of wings and guards on the team, so the team would likely remove someone in that rotation to make room.

Jordan Hawkins Will Be the Odd Man Out After the Pelicans' Mathurin Addition

An obvious candidate is Jordan Hawkins, who was part of trade rumors earlier this summer. Reports revealed the Memphis Grizzlies were a serious suitor to acquire the former first-round pick.

The Pelicans selected Hawkins with the No. 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Hawkins showed promise during his rookie season, appearing in 67 games and shooting 36% from beyond the arc.

Last year, Hawkins saw his minutes significantly reduced to a career-low 51 games on just 13 minutes per game. His outside shooting also dipped to 34% from deep. His main purpose was to provide floor spacing, giving Zion Williamson and Derik Queen more space to operate in the paint with less fear of perimeter double teams.

However, Hawkins hasn't been able to consistently hit shots since his rookie season, which has reduced his value to the team.

Hawkins would also routinely get targeted on defense, in part because of his smallish frame and slow reaction speed in diagnosing the opposition’s offensive sets. While Mathurin isn’t a world-class defender, he is 6’5 and 210 pounds, making him a better switch defender at multiple positions.

Players like Micah Peavy and Bryce McGowens were better options last season because of their size and better defensive efforts.

Add the fact that the Pelicans have Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, Saddiq Bey, and others vying for playing time, and that leaves Hawkins as the odd man out in the rotation.

The New Orleans Pelicans still need viable outside shooting, and they're banking on Mathurin’s scoring prowess to boost their bench production. The Pelicans were 23rd in the league in bench scoring last season, and Mathurin’s career 16.3 points per game will be welcome to the team’s lineup.

One of Mathurin's greatest skills is getting to the free-throw line. Since entering the league four years ago, Mathurin has the fifth-best free-throw attempt rate amongst guards and wings in the league. That kind of skill could be useful during crunch-time situations.

Creating the roster spot could also be done by waiving Hawkins and using the stretch provision on the remainder of his contract. That wouldn’t be the most prudent option for New Orleans, but an alternative move if they can’t get a trade done before the season starts. A fresh start could do Hawkins good and let him showcase his skill set on another team.

The Pelicans' commitment to former first-round pick Mathurin signals that a one-dimensional player like Hawkins is expendable on the team. How that move is made remains to be seen, but New Orleans has made it clear where it has placed its trust.

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