Bennedict Mathurin was acquired from the Indiana Pacers ahead of the February trade deadline in the landmark deal that sent Ivica Zubac over to Indiana. While this move eventually helped the Los Angeles Clippers secure the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, it also provided L.A. with a gifted two-way prospect.
The Clippers will be going into the offseason with many questions that need to be addressed. While roster issues are bound to be one of them, contract discussions with players like Bennedict Mathurin could prove to be significant. On that note, NBA insider Keith Smith provided some details on the potential offer Mathurin could field this summer. He wrote:
“Bennedict Mathurin can be made a restricted free agent. He’s a terrific scorer, but has shown much more than that. If the Clippers feel they need his scoring, they could re-sign him. If they’re leery of locking into long-term money for Mathurin, he could languish in restricted free agency before returning on a team-friendly contract late in the offseason.”
“A reasonable deal for Mathurin is something in the range of $50 million over three years. That’s a touch over the MLE, but doesn’t break the bank or drift towards being difficult to trade.”
As Smith noted, Mathurin will be going into the offseason as a restricted free agent. Needless to say, this is far more favorable for the Clippers than it is for the 23-year-old.
On paper, a three-year, $50 million deal seems reasonable for a starter-caliber player who hasn’t necessarily met the criteria for being a star. However, when factoring in his potential and his averages of 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game over the last season, it could be argued that he is worth more.
Should Bennedict Mathurin Test Free Agency?
Going into free agency, the Clippers will undoubtedly present Mathurin with a qualifying offer, which is likely to be in the range of $8-$9 million. Considering the franchise’s need to maintain cap flexibility before making further moves, this would be the best course of action for the team.
However, given that this is well below expectations, Mathurin is likely to reject this.
Although this would allow Bennedict Mathurin to test free agency, the circumstances may become tricky for Mathurin, as the Clippers still hold all the power in this situation.
For all intents and purposes, a young two-way wing will be in demand this summer. With several teams looking to add wing depth, especially scoring guards with defensive upside, Mathurin could garner significant interest.
Should teams approach Mathurin with an offer, L.A. retains the right to match the offer sheet and re-sign the 23-year-old, potentially at a more favorable price.
Conversely, if Mathurin chooses not to accept the qualifying offer or a potential extension, he may end up in a standoff with the Clippers, seeing his chances of playing with a team suspended in limbo.
Needless to say, this isn’t promising, as L.A. could simply present another qualifying offer the following season and restart the whole process.
Last year’s offseason was a clear example of how difficult the offseason can be for restricted free agents. Now, Bennedict Mathurin finds himself in a similar position.
With very few avenues to actually come out of this situation with positive results, Mathurin may be forced to bite the bullet and accept a multi-year deal with the Clippers, should they present him with such an offer.
