Bennedict Mathurin leaves Clippers for Pelicans on $16 million contract

The New Orleans Pelicans and Bennedict Mathurin have agreed on a two-year, $16 million contract in free agency, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal has a player option on the second season.

Mathurin was a Los Angeles Clippers restricted free agent, but his reps went to the Clippers to withdraw his $8.8 million qualifying offer so he could join the Pelicans for a better opportunity with a chance to cash in next summer. LA was facing a roster crunch after getting Max Strus in the Peyton Watson trade and with the Kawhi Leonard trade still on track, so there wasn’t an obvious pathway for Mathurin to return.

The Clippers acquired Mathurin from the Indiana Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade last season. The young guard averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 42.6% shooting in 26 games for LA last season.

The Pelicans have had a quiet offseason up to this point, which executive vice president Joe Dumars recently defended. New Orleans signed backup forward Trendon Watford to a one-year, $2.9 million contract last week and has now struck on Mathurin after numerous rumors tying them to him.

Jake Fischer mentioned on his Bleacher Report stream Tuesday that he thought Mathurin would either be heading to the Pelicans or going back to the Clippers.

“I still believe that New Orleans is really the primary, and I think, aggressive suitor for Bennedict Mathurin on the restricted free agent market,” Fishcer said. “From talking to multiple people with knowlege of the situation today, it sounds like Mathurin’s situation is coming down to figuring out a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans, or taking the qualifying offer with Los Angeles.”

There’s no sign-and-trade being reported here, but that doesn’t mean some kind of trade won’t happen to help with flexibility. Fischer mentioned a Jordan Hawkins trade could be in the works, and ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel has also hinted at a Hawkins trade.

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