Bennedict Mathurin did not say a single word, but the message still landed with force. A blacked-out profile picture. His bio was wiped clean. A short Instagram story showing old Indiana Pacers moments, posted and then quickly deleted. With the trade deadline just 24 days away, the timing felt anything but accidental.
Social media does not force trades, but in the modern NBA, it often signals something is shifting. Frustration. Uncertainty. Or at the very least, a moment of reflection. For Mathurin, that moment arrives in the middle of what has quietly been the best season of his career. The fourth-year wing is averaging 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 42.3% from the field and 36.8% from three. His scoring has become more varied. His confidence has grown. He looks comfortable creating offense instead of simply finishing it.
The problem is everything around him.
Indiana sits at 9–31, last in the Eastern Conference, and the season has slipped fully into evaluation mode. Tyrese Haliburton is not expected back this year as he continues recovering from an Achilles injury, and without him, there is no real competitive direction. Wins are no longer the priority. Development and asset management are.
That context makes Mathurin’s contract situation impossible to ignore. He is in the final year of his rookie deal, making $9.1 million, and is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. And the Pacers have still not offered him a contract extension.
If there is even a hint of hesitation on Mathurin’s side about the franchise’s direction, the Pacers have to decide whether to gamble on retaining him or explore the market now, when his value is likely as high as it will be.
His current absence only adds to the uncertainty. Mathurin has missed five straight games with a sprained right thumb, with Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors marked as a possible return date. Even that is not locked in. In the meantime, Johnny Furphy has slid into the starting lineup. It is not a permanent move, but it is a reminder that the Pacers are already experimenting.
Around the league, teams are watching. One that keeps making sense is the Los Angeles Clippers. With more than $70 million in projected cap space this summer, they have the flexibility few teams can touch. They have already been linked to younger wings like Peyton Watson, and Mathurin fits the same mold. Athletic. Scoring driven. Young enough to grow alongside a reshaped roster.
The Mavericks are also another team that could make a move. They are clearly pivoting towards a rebuild, and Mathurin could be a perfect co-star next to Cooper Flagg.
From Mathurin’s perspective, the appeal is obvious. A larger market. A clearer competitive timeline. A team trying to win now instead of waiting for injuries to heal and lottery odds to settle. From Indiana’s side, the logic is colder. A rising scorer on an expiring deal, posting career-best numbers while the team sits at the bottom of the standings, is exactly the kind of asset rival executives circle early.
None of this guarantees a trade. A social media reset is not a formal request, and Mathurin has not publicly expressed dissatisfaction. But the combination of his contract status, Indiana’s record, Haliburton’s absence, and that carefully timed silence has created a situation the Pacers cannot brush off.
Whether this ends with a deal or a recommitment behind closed doors, one thing feels clear. Bennedict Mathurin’s future in Indiana no longer feels settled. And with the deadline approaching fast, what he did not say may matter more than anything he could have posted.
