The New Orleans Pelicans finally made the move that changed the conversation around their offseason.
After consecutive seasons with fewer than 30 victories and weeks of criticism for standing still, Executive Vice President Joe Dumars landed Bennedict Mathurin on a reported two-year, $16 million contract with a player option. The 24-year-old wing averaged a career-best 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 54 games with Indiana and the LA Clippers last season, according to NBA.com.
At that price, Mathurin is more than a solid addition. He is one of the offseason’s best value signings.
But one bargain contract does not automatically transform a 26-win team into a championship contender. The Pelicans are deeper, more explosive and considerably more interesting. They are also carrying many of the same health, defensive and roster-balance questions that have held them back for years.
The honest answer is this: New Orleans is now a legitimate playoff threat with top-six upside, but it has not yet earned the label of true Western Conference contender.
The Pelicans’ contender status
| Level | Current Verdict | What Must Happen |
|---|---|---|
| Championship contender | Not yet | Prove health, rim protection, defense and postseason shot creation |
| Top-six Western seed | Possible ceiling | Zion, Murray and Murphy stay available while Mosley builds a top-15 defense |
| Play-in team | Realistic expectation | Mathurin stabilizes the bench and the core avoids major injuries |
| Lottery team | Still possible | Injuries return and the crowded rotation never develops defined roles |
Why Mathurin changes the offense
Mathurin brings a skill the Pelicans desperately needed: forceful, reliable downhill scoring.
He attacks the rim, absorbs contact, gets to the free-throw line and can produce without the entire offense being designed around him. That makes him an ideal pressure-release option when Zion Williamson rests, when Trey Murphy III is denied clean looks or when the offense stalls late in the shot clock.
Mathurin also has meaningful postseason experience. He contributed to Indiana’s 2025 NBA Finals run and delivered a 27-point bench performance during that series. New Orleans is not adding an empty-calorie scorer who has never experienced high-leverage basketball.
Mathurin’s immediate value
| Need | What Mathurin Provides | Expected Effect |
| Bench scoring | 17.6 points per game last season | Reduces dependence on Poole carrying the entire second unit |
| Rim pressure | Physical downhill attacking | Creates free throws and forces defensive rotations |
| Wing depth | 6-foot-5 scoring wing with starting experience | Gives Mosley more lineup flexibility around Zion and Murphy |
| Shot creation | Can manufacture offense late in possessions | Helps New Orleans survive stagnant stretches |
| Playoff experience | Contributed during Indiana’s Finals run | Adds a player familiar with postseason intensity |
A projected Pelicans rotation
Jamahl Mosley has enough depth to build multiple lineup types. The following is a working projection—not an official depth chart—and could change if New Orleans makes the expected roster move before opening night.
| Position | Projected Starter | Primary Reserves |
| Point guard | Dejounte Murray | Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole |
| Shooting guard | Herb Jones | Bennedict Mathurin, Jordan Hawkins |
| Small forward | Trey Murphy III | Saddiq Bey, Micah Peavy |
| Power forward | Zion Williamson | Trendon Watford, Karlo Matković |
| Center | Yves Missi | Derik Queen, DeAndre Jordan |
This alignment emphasizes defense around Zion by starting Murray, Jones, Murphy and Missi. Mathurin then becomes the sixth man and featured scorer against opposing benches.
Mosley could also start Mathurin in offense-heavy matchups, move Murphy to a larger wing assignment, use Herb as a small-ball forward or place Zion at center for short bursts. The variety is real. The challenge will be establishing roles without frustrating a roster loaded with players who expect touches.
The second unit is suddenly dangerous
Mathurin’s arrival changes the bench from a concern into a possible strength.
A reserve group built around Mathurin, Poole, Fears, Bey and Queen would have multiple players capable of creating a shot. It could play quickly, attack second units and erase some of the scoring droughts that buried New Orleans last season.
The danger is defensive balance. Poole and Mathurin are aggressive scorers, while Fears and Queen are still developing. Mosley may need to stagger Herb Jones, Trey Murphy or Dejounte Murray with those groups to prevent the second unit from becoming an exchange of baskets.
Jamahl Mosley gives the roster a new identity
The coaching change may matter almost as much as the signing.
Mosley went 189-221 during five seasons in Orlando, but his teams reached the playoffs in each of his final three years and won two Southeast Division titles. The Pelicans hired him to establish accountability, improve young players and build the defensive habits that have repeatedly disappeared in New Orleans. NBA.com
His biggest tools are obvious:
- Herb Jones can defend across the lineup and cover for weaker perimeter defenders.
- Dejounte Murray supplies length, playmaking and point-of-attack size.
- Trey Murphy has the physical profile to become a more consistent two-way wing.
- Yves Missi, Derik Queen and Micah Peavy give the staff young defensive pieces to develop.
- Zion can unlock devastating small-ball offense if his conditioning and engagement hold.
Mosley does not need every player to become elite defensively. He needs the group to become connected, disciplined and dependable.
The numbers show why Mathurin alone is not enough
The Pelicans finished 26-56 and 11th in the Western Conference last season. They ranked 20th in offensive rating, 23rd in defensive rating and 21st in net rating, according to NBA.com’s offseason power rankings.
| 2025-26 Metric | Pelicans Result | NBA Rank | Contender Standard |
| Record | 26-56 | 11th West | Major improvement required |
| Offensive rating | 113.3 | 20th | Usually top 10-12 |
| Defensive rating | 117.6 | 23rd | Usually top 10-15 |
| Net rating | -4.4 | 21st | Must become clearly positive |
Mathurin directly addresses the offense. He does not solve all of the defense, rebounding, rim protection or availability problems represented in those numbers.
The five questions that decide the season
1. Can Zion stay on the floor?
Every projection begins with Zion Williamson. When healthy and conditioned, he remains the roster’s most destructive offensive force. If he misses another large portion of the season, Mathurin’s scoring cannot fully replace the pressure Zion places on a defense.
2. Is Dejounte Murray fully back?
Murray returned late last season after an Achilles injury and appeared in only 14 games. New Orleans needs his playmaking, size and defensive activity for an entire year—not another abbreviated stretch.
3. Can Mosley build even an average defense?
The Pelicans do not need to become the best defense in basketball immediately. Moving from 23rd into the top half of the league would dramatically change their win total.
4. Who closes games?
Zion and Murphy are automatic choices. The remaining spots could rotate among Murray, Herb, Mathurin, Poole and the centers. Mosley must balance scoring, defense and spacing without allowing reputation or salary to dictate the lineup.
5. What roster move comes next?
The Mathurin signing created a financial and roster squeeze. Pelicans Roundtable reported that New Orleans has too many players and sits slightly above the luxury-tax line.
Jordan Hawkins and Jordan Poole have been discussed as possible trade candidates. Hawkins carries an expiring salary of roughly $7 million, while Poole is owed more than $34 million in the final year of his contract. Trendon Watford’s non-guaranteed deal offers another path, although waiving a useful, recently signed forward would be an unattractive outcome.
The best move would be consolidating the crowded guard room into a dependable defensive big or a larger two-way forward. Simply dumping a useful player to save money would reduce the basketball value of the Mathurin signing.
Best-case, likely and worst-case outcomes
| Scenario | Who Dat Daily Projection | What It Looks Like |
| Best case | 45-48 wins, top-six seed | Healthy Zion and Murray, Mathurin thrives as sixth man, defense reaches top 15 |
| Most likely | 39-43 wins, play-in/lower playoff race | Improved scoring and coaching, but normal health and rotation issues remain |
| Worst case | Low-to-mid 30s, lottery | Injuries return, defense stays near the bottom and roles become unsettled |
These are editorial projections rather than betting lines. They illustrate how wide the team’s range remains.
The Who Dat Daily verdict
The Pelicans should be excited about Bennedict Mathurin. He is young, productive, playoff-tested and dramatically underpriced at $16 million over two years. He gives New Orleans another player who can score 20 on any given night without forcing the team to sacrifice a core asset.
That makes the Pelicans better. It does not make them complete.
New Orleans still must prove that Zion and Murray can remain available, that Mosley can repair a bottom-third defense and that Dumars can turn a crowded roster into a balanced one. Until those things happen, calling the Pelicans championship contenders would be premature.
Calling them dangerous is fair.
The realistic expectation is a playoff chase. The optimistic ceiling is a top-six seed. If the health, defense and roster consolidation all break correctly, the Pelicans could become one of the West’s biggest surprises.
Pels Nation: Does Mathurin make New Orleans a top-six team, or is one more major move still needed?
Sources
- NBA.com: Mathurin reportedly agrees to two-year Pelicans deal
- NBA.com: Pelicans hire Jamahl Mosley
- NBA.com: Western Conference offseason power rankings
- NBA.com: Current Pelicans roster
- Pelicans Roundtable: Potential roster moves after Mathurin signing
- Yahoo Sports: Projected Pelicans rotation after Mathurin signing