What Could Go Right and Wrong for Pelicans With Bennedict Mathurin This Season

Apr 12, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin (9) moves the ball up court against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Pelicans have injected new life into a relatively unchanged roster by inking Bennedict Mathurin this summer. Adding one of the league's top free agents is a win, especially for a team that's doubted by almost everyone to make it out of the lottery in 2026-27.

Still, with any new arrival, there's a range of outcomes New Orleans may face, especially with a player so hard to pin down like Mathurin.

The best case for Bennedict Mathurin and the Pelicans

Mathurin gives the New Orleans Pelicans someone they needed: another player capable of creating offense without waiting for somebody else to make the game easy for him.

Mathurin averaged career highs of 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists last season in 54 games with Indiana and the Los Angeles Clippers. The sixth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft is still only 24. So with a reported price of two years and $16 million, the Pelicans made a reasonable bet on talent.

The benefit is obvious. Mathurin plays downhill, draws contact, and can score in bunches. He gives New Orleans another aggressive attacker alongside Zion WIlliamson, Jeremiah Fears, and Dejounte Murray. He can start games, provide scoring off the bench, or stabilize lineups while Williamson or Trey Murphy rest.

Mathurin also has experience in meaningful games. During Indiana's 2025 NBA Finals run, he scored 27 points in 22 minutes off the bench in Game 3 against Oklahoma City. That ability to change a game offensively is valuable to a Pelicans team that has struggled to generate dependable scoring beyond its top options.

The challenge is efficiency and fit

Mathurin shot just 43 percent overall and 31.5 percent from three last season. While he made 37.2 percent of his triples during 28 games with the Pacers, he converted only 20.7 percent after joining the Clippers. For his career, he's a 33.6 percent shooter from distance.

That matters because more than 35 percent of his shot attempts came from behind the arc. New Orleans needs spacing, something Mathurin hasn't consistently provided.

His 48.5 effective field-goal percentage was below league average. Mathurin is effective at the rim and has a useful midrange game, but the overall package hasn't produced an efficient offensive player.

There are questions about his role as well. He joins a crowded perimeter group that includes Murray, Fears, Herb Jones, Murphy, Saddiq Bay, and Jordan Poole. Mathurin needs the ball to maximize his scoring, but he averaged only 2.4 assists. Defensively, he must prove he can complement smaller lineups rather than amplify their weaknesses.

Still, the signing makes sense. Mathurin is a young, athletic scorer who can put pressure on the rim at a modest cost.

The Pelicans don't need him to be their best player this season. They need him to be a more efficient and dependable version of the player he already is.

If his shooting and decision-making improve, and he embraces defense, he could become a great value. If not, he may be another talented player on the roster who doesn't fit cleanly with the others.