New Orleans Pelicans and free-agent Bennedict Mathurin agree on 2-year, $16M contract

New Orleans Pelicans agree to two‑year, $16 million contract with free‑agent Bennedict Mathurin The New Orleans Pelicans have reached an agreement with free‑agent guard Bennedict Mathurin on a two‑year deal worth $16 million, including a player option for the second season. Mathurin entered the offseason as a restricted free agent with the Los Angeles Clippers. His representatives secured the withdrawal of Los Angeles’ $8.8 million qualifying offer, clearing the path for his move to Louisiana. The guard emphasized a desire for operational flexibility and avoided longer contracts that would have tied him to a single team. Selected sixth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Arizona, the Montreal native spent his first three‑plus seasons with the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Clippers. During his brief stint with Los Angeles, Mathurin appeared in 26 games, averaging 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Across his 235 career professional outings he holds averages of 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds, consistently employing an aggressive style that draws frequent trips to the free‑throw line. The signing represents the Pelicans’ premier summer maneuver under head of basketball operations Joe Dumars, following a 26‑56 record in 2023‑24. New Orleans entered the current campaign without a first‑round pick, having surrendered that asset in a prior draft‑night trade. Mathurin’s average annual salary of $8 million keeps the franchise comfortably below the luxury‑tax threshold. Under new head coach Jamahl Mosley, Mathurin is expected to bolster a backcourt that includes Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III. The contract’s player option could make him an unrestricted free agent as early as the summer of 2026. (Editorial credit: Sebastian Gora Photo / Shutterstock.com)