Bennedict Mathurin’s restricted free agency appears to be narrowing to two options: a sign-and-trade to the New Orleans Pelicans or accepting his qualifying offer to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Jake Fischer.
The 23-year-old wing and his representatives had also been engaged with the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, according to Marc Stein, but Fischer’s latest reporting points to New Orleans and Los Angeles as Mathurin’s primary paths.
Mathurin became a restricted free agent after completing his four-year, $29.9 million rookie contract. The Clippers acquired him from the Indiana Pacers before last season’s trade deadline and extended him a qualifying offer, allowing Los Angeles to retain matching rights while Mathurin explores his market.
A qualifying offer would keep Mathurin with the Clippers for another season, while a deal with New Orleans would require the two teams to agree on a sign-and-trade structure. The Clippers therefore remain central to either outcome.
Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 54 games between Indiana and Los Angeles during the 2025-26 season. He produced similar numbers after the trade, averaging 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26 games with the Clippers.
His scoring profile changed significantly after arriving in Los Angeles. Mathurin made only 20.7% of his three-point attempts with the Clippers, but he shot 50.2% on two-pointers and averaged 7.3 free-throw attempts per game, showing how heavily his offense relied on attacking the basket.
The Clippers finished 42-40 and ninth in the Western Conference before entering the offseason with Mathurin’s restricted free agency unresolved. Retaining him through the qualifying offer would preserve another 17-point-per-game scorer, although it would also leave his longer-term future uncertain.
New Orleans finished 26-56, tied for the NBA’s fourth-worst record, and has continued to view Mathurin as a potential long-term starter. The Pelicans are building around young players including Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, and Mathurin would add a 23-year-old wing who has averaged 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds across 263 regular-season games.
The Pelicans’ interest is not new. New Orleans previously pursued Mathurin before the trade deadline, and a sign-and-trade would give the franchise an opportunity to add a proven NBA scorer to its developing core rather than relying exclusively on internal growth.
