New Orleans found a starting-caliber wing scorer for $8 million a year. In the current NBA economy, that is close to theft.
Bennedict Mathurin agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans that includes a player option. For a former lottery pick still in his mid-20s with a proven ability to score in bunches, that is a bargain-bin number.
Why the Price Was This Low
The market for young scorers who do not defend at a high level has cooled considerably. Teams have learned that a guy who can get 18 points on volume does not move the needle if he is a target on the other end, and the new cap rules have made everyone more disciplined about paying for counting stats.
Mathurin’s game has always been about aggression. He attacks the rim, he draws fouls, and he is not shy about taking a difficult shot late in the clock. That profile produces highlights and it also produces the kind of inefficiency that front offices scrutinize.
At $8 million a year, none of that matters. The Pelicans are not paying him to be a foundational piece. They are paying him to provide scoring off the bench and occasional starts, and at that price he clears the bar easily.
The Player Option Is the Interesting Part
Including a player option means Mathurin is betting on himself. If he has a strong season in New Orleans, he opts out and hits free agency again with fresh leverage and a better market. If he struggles, he has a guaranteed second year.
That structure benefits both sides. The Pelicans get a low-risk one-year look at a talented player, and Mathurin gets a showcase in an offense that should provide him opportunity.
What It Says About New Orleans
The Pelicans have been in the business of collecting talent and hoping the health holds for years now, with mixed results. This is a more targeted version of that approach: find undervalued players on short deals, keep flexibility, and avoid the long-term contracts that have hamstrung them in the past.
New Orleans also pursued DeMar DeRozan this offseason before he chose Denver. Missing on DeRozan and landing Mathurin at half the age for roughly double the salary is not a bad consolation.
The Bottom Line
Every roster needs someone who can create a shot when the offense breaks down. Mathurin does that. He will take some possessions you wish he had not, and he will also have nights where he keeps New Orleans in a game single-handedly.
For $8 million on a deal that can end after one season, that is exactly the kind of risk a team in the Pelicans’ position should be taking.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.