Pelicans reach 2-year, $16 million deal with wing player Bennedict Mathurin, AP source says

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans and high-scoring wing player Bennedict Mathurin have agreed on a two-year, $16 million contract, a person with knowledge of the deal said Wednesday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by ESPN, has not been announced.

The 24-year-old Mathurin was traded from Indiana to the Los Angeles Clippers last season, during which he averaged 17.6 points.

The 6-foot-5, four-year NBA veteran out of Arizona entered the offseason as a restricted free agent with the Clippers, who had to agree to withdraw an earlier $8.8 million qualifying offer for Mathurin's deal with the Pelicans to go through.

Mathurin has career averages of 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds since being selected sixth overall by Indiana in the 2022 NBA draft.

Mathurin's deal with New Orleans is the most significant move of this offseason by Pelicans second-year basketball operations chief Joe Dumars, who has opted not to trade the club's more prominent players since his team finished out of the playoff picture last season with a 26-56 record.

The Pelicans did not have a first-round draft pick this summer, after trading it away in 2025 for the chance to draft Derik Queen 13th overall.

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