HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 10: Bennedict Mathurin #9 of the Los Angeles Clippers drives to the basket as Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets defends during the second half at Toyota Center on February 10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
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When the Los Angeles Clippers traded starting center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers ahead of this year’s NBA trade deadline, most of the attention revolved around the unique draft picks included in the deal.
No matter what, the Clippers will get the Pacers’ fully unprotected 2029 first-round pick. They’ll also receive the Pacers’ pick in 2026 if it lands between 5-9 in the lottery. Otherwise, they’ll receive the Pacers’ fully unprotected 2031 first-rounder.
Not enough attention was paid to the other part of that deal, though. Not only did the Clippers get two guaranteed first-round picks, but they also received Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson.
In his six games with the Clippers, Mathurin has averaged 20.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per game. However, he’s shooting 40.7% overall and only 20.8% from deep. He shot 37.2% from three-point range with the Pacers, so he’s likely just adjusting to life with new teammates, particularly without new starting point guard Darius Garland.
Mathurin struggled in Thursday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, but he’s proved to be an explosive scoring option off the bench when Leonard is healthy. If he maintains this level of production over the rest of the season, he’ll set himself up to be one of the most intriguing free-agent situations of the summer.
Mathurin’s Hot Start in L.A.
Three games into his Clippers tenure, Mathurin tied his career high with 38 points.
In his home debut at the Intuit Dome, he finished 12-of-22 from the field, 12-of-13 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds, four assists and three steals in a one-point win over the Denver Nuggets. The next night, he had 26 points and seven rebounds in a three-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mathurin has cooled off in the two games since, although he did have a well-rounded 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a two-point loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday. Once Leonard returns, Mathurin should get right back to his high-volume scoring ways.
With Leonard sidelined Thursday, Mathurin had perhaps his worst outing with the Clippers to date. He finished with only 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, two assists and six turnovers in a six-point loss to the Orlando Magic.
That disappointing performance led to no shortage of spicy takes about Mathurin’s readiness to serve as a No. 1 scoring option. Luckily, he shouldn’t have to do that often this season as long as Leonard stays upright and dodges league punishment for the salary-cap circumvention allegations that have been hanging over him all year.
Mathurin is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, so the Clippers should spend the next six weeks testing what he can and can’t do well. Leonard isn’t likely to play every game over the rest of the season, which should give Mathurin a chance at redemption as a No. 1 option. Otherwise, he’ll have to fill in as Leonard’s wingman.
How he fares in those roles could go a long way toward determining what happens to him this offseason.
How Much Will Mathurin Command In Free Agency?
The good news for impending free agents is that more teams project to have cap space this offseason than they did last summer. (The Clippers could be one of those teams.)
The bad news is that a handful of teams conducted their major free-agent business at the trade deadline in so-called “pre-agency.” The Washington Wizards blew through their projected cap space by acquiring Anthony Davis and Trae Young, as did the Utah Jazz did with Jaren Jackson Jr.
Keith Smith of Spotrac now projects the Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls to have at least roughly $35 million of spending power this summer. He added that both the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons could have $30-plus million of cap space or could instead elect to remain over the cap.
All three of the Lakers, Nets and Bulls will likely be looking for high-scoring forwards this offseason. However, Mathurin is basically the antithesis of a three-and-D specialist. He’s a career 34.4% shooter from deep and is a below-average defender.
If Mathurin and Jonathan Kuminga both hit the free-agent market this summer, their respective negotiations will be fascinating. Mathurin has been the more consistent scorer over the past two years, although both players might feel as though they’d be destined for bigger things on a new team.
The next six weeks will give both players a chance to prove that.
If Mathurin averages more than 20 points and six rebounds per game across the rest of the season, he could become one of the most highly desired free agents, especially if Young and James Harden stay put in Atlanta and Cleveland, respectively. It’s easy to imagine all three of the Lakers, Nets and Bulls going after him, among other teams.
Mathurin doesn’t even turn 24 until mid-June, so his best years should still be ahead of him. It’s unclear whether he can be Leonard’s long-term successor in L.A.—or if he’ll even still be on the Clippers come the fall—but these next few weeks could go a long way toward deciding that either way.
That upcoming foray into free agency likely contributed to the Pacers’ willingness to trade Mathurin. The Pacers already have Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam on max contracts. Given their spending history, they likely had no interest in rostering a third high-salary player.
The Clippers’ long-term books are such a blank slate outside of Garland that they’ll be hunting for keeper-caliber talent. With Leonard already in his mid-30s and heading into the final year of his contract, they need to start looking ahead to their post-Kawhi era. Garland and Mathurin could be keys to that.
Mathurin first needs to prove that he belongs in that conversation, though. He’ll have the rest of the regular season to do so.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
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