Pelicans rumors: Did Bennedict Mathurin just leak another new jersey?

Celebrating a cheap free agent signing this late in the offseason is usually not a needle mover unless it’s LeBron James. However, with the ink still drying on Bennedict Mathurin’s deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, the former lottery pick may have already given fans two reasons to start shopping for new gear. The first is fairly straightforward. Mathurin appears set to reclaim No. 9 after agreeing to a two-year, roughly $16 million contract. The second is far more intriguing than a Skelican in September.

Mathurin updated his Instagram profile picture after news of the Pelicans deal broke, using an image of a previously unseen New Orleans uniform. That would normally qualify as harmless introductory artwork for a new signing, and it is, even though the design looks clean. Before fans get too excited for this particular look, it has been confirmed this is just an AI image.

The timing makes this one worth a closer look, though. It’s the league’s dead period without much to drum up interest in the new season. Much like the annual trade deadline, the NBA world is expecting something to drop soon. The Pelicans joined the rest of the NBA in a Nike-backed social media campaign teasing something new for September 15.

Posts told fans to “Prepare to be obsessed,” accompanied by the date and Nike branding. The campaign has appeared across the league rather than being limited to New Orleans, strongly suggesting a new uniform collection is on the way. But those blues and reds need a refresh, with at least one uniform saying ‘Pelicans’ again, right? That is where Mathurin’s new profile picture becomes interesting.

This new profile pic feeds a persistent rumor that Pelicans fans have been trying to will into existence for years. New Orleans could debut two new uniforms this season rather than the more typical single addition or refresh. NBA teams generally rotate through Association, Icon, Statement, and City editions, with special sets for events like the NBA Cup sometimes layered on top.

Nike has experimented plenty with its alternate looks while leaving the basic structure of the Pelicans’ primary uniforms largely untouched. Current Pelicans merchandise still features the familiar white Association Edition and navy Icon Edition designs, while the team’s red Crescent City Statement jersey received a more substantial refresh before the 2023-24 season.

The annual City Edition program has provided most of the creativity. Perhaps now, if the Skelican rebrand ever becomes official, this Mathurin look becomes more of a callback. And no city does call-and-response better than New Orleans. The biggest question is how fans will respond to the actual, official uniforms being released soon.

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