By Big Q | The Who Dat Daily | August 26, 2026
The New Orleans Pelicans have finally landed one of their most persistent targets.
Restricted free-agent wing Bennedict Mathurin has agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with New Orleans that includes a player option for the second season, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania.
The agreement ends a long pursuit by the Pelicans, who have aggressively explored ways to add Mathurin for more than a year. It also gives New Orleans a young, proven scorer at a team-friendly price while keeping the franchise below the luxury-tax line this season.
How the Pelicans Got the Deal Done
Mathurin entered the final stage of restricted free agency with an $8.8 million qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Clippers. According to Charania, Mathurin’s representatives approached the Clippers about withdrawing that offer, clearing the way for the 24-year-old to accept a multiyear agreement with New Orleans.
The new contract gives Mathurin more overall security than playing on the one-year qualifying offer while preserving his flexibility through the player option. For the Pelicans, the $8 million average annual value limits their financial risk and protects their position below the tax threshold.
That is an impressive outcome for a player who averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game during the 2025–26 season. Mathurin shot 43.0 percent from the field and remained one of the league’s more aggressive young downhill scorers.
Why Mathurin Matters to New Orleans
Mathurin brings an attacking mentality that the Pelicans badly needed. The 6-foot-5 wing can pressure the rim, draw fouls, score in transition and create offense when a possession breaks down. He also has experience producing as both a starter and a high-volume reserve.
The former No. 6 overall pick is still only 24 years old, which makes him a natural fit with New Orleans’ developing core. He is young enough to improve alongside the Pelicans’ foundational players but experienced enough to help immediately.
His arrival gives head coach Jamahl Mosley another versatile perimeter option. Mathurin can play beside a lead guard, attack second units or provide a scoring lift when the offense stalls. His physicality should also help New Orleans generate more free throws and put greater pressure on opposing defenses.
The biggest question will be his outside shooting. Mathurin connected on 31.5 percent of his three-point attempts last season, so New Orleans will need him to become more consistent away from the ball. His defensive discipline and decision-making will also be important areas for Mosley’s development-focused staff.
A Low-Risk, High-Upside Move
At two years and $16 million, the Pelicans are not paying Mathurin like a finished star. They are betting that a talented former lottery pick can take another step in the right environment.
If Mathurin breaks out, the contract could become one of the best values on the roster. If the fit is imperfect, the short term prevents New Orleans from being trapped in a long, expensive commitment. The player option gives Mathurin a chance to return to the market if he outperforms the deal, but the Pelicans still gain an important opportunity to evaluate him within their system.
The signing also reflects a disciplined front-office approach. New Orleans adds a legitimate rotation scorer without crossing the luxury-tax line or sacrificing draft capital in a costly trade. After pursuing Mathurin through multiple transaction windows, the Pelicans have secured him on terms far more favorable than many projected earlier in the offseason.
Does New Orleans Have to Make Another Move?
Not immediately—but a corresponding roster move is expected before the regular season.
No trade, waiver or outgoing player was included in the initial report of Mathurin’s agreement. The reported involvement of Mathurin’s representatives in having Los Angeles withdraw his $8.8 million qualifying offer points toward a direct free-agent signing rather than the more expensive sign-and-trade scenarios discussed earlier in the summer. Until the Pelicans and Clippers announce the official transaction details, however, the final mechanism should not be treated as confirmed.
New Orleans can complete the signing without first releasing somebody because NBA teams may carry as many as 21 players during the offseason and training camp. The limit drops to 15 standard NBA contracts for the regular season, plus as many as three two-way contracts.
Before Mathurin’s agreement, the Pelicans reportedly had 15 players on standard contracts, with Trendon Watford occupying the final spot on a partially guaranteed deal. Mathurin therefore projects as the 16th standard-contract player. That means New Orleans will eventually have to trade or waive at least one player before setting its opening-night roster.
The team’s Exhibit 9 training-camp players—Kobe Bufkin, Caleb Houstan and Christian Koloko—do not create the immediate problem. They were already competing for a possible roster or two-way opportunity and can be waived after camp without forcing New Orleans to remove a guaranteed rotation player.
Jordan Hawkins Is the Leading Trade Candidate
If the Pelicans make a trade, Jordan Hawkins is the clearest player to watch. New Orleans explored trade frameworks involving Hawkins earlier in the offseason, including reported discussions with the Memphis Grizzlies. Hawkins is owed more than $7 million in the final season of his rookie contract.
A player-for-draft-compensation deal would accomplish two things at once: it would open a standard roster spot for Mathurin and reduce the Pelicans’ taxable payroll. It would also relieve an increasingly crowded backcourt that now includes Mathurin, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Jeremiah Fears and Bryce McGowens.
That does not mean a Hawkins trade has been agreed to. As of the Mathurin signing report, no corresponding deal had been announced. It is simply the most logical next transaction based on New Orleans’ previous trade talks, Hawkins’ salary and the roster overlap created by Mathurin’s arrival.
Could Trendon Watford Be Waived Instead?
Watford is the simplest waiver option because his one-year contract is only partially guaranteed. Releasing him would open the required roster spot with less dead-money exposure than waiving a fully guaranteed player.
That route may be less attractive from a basketball standpoint. Watford gives New Orleans needed size and frontcourt versatility, while the roster is now especially crowded at guard and wing. For that reason, a Hawkins trade appears more likely than immediately reversing the recently completed Watford signing—but both possibilities remain open until the final roster is set.
What About the Luxury Tax?
Public payroll estimates placed New Orleans approximately $5.7 million below the $200.428 million luxury-tax line after the Watford signing. Mathurin’s exact first-year salary and the Pelicans’ use of available exceptions will determine the updated figure. The reported structure is designed to keep New Orleans below the tax this season, but public cap trackers may not reflect the final accounting immediately.
If the finished transaction temporarily moves the Pelicans above the tax line, they would still have time to move Hawkins or another contract before tax payments are calculated at the end of the season. Therefore, the signing does not force an immediate salary dump today, but it strengthens the expectation that another roster move is coming.
The Bottom Line
The Pelicans wanted Bennedict Mathurin, stayed patient and finally got their man.
New Orleans is adding a 24-year-old wing who averaged nearly 18 points per game for only $16 million over two seasons. The deal carries some risk because of Mathurin’s streaky shooting and defensive inconsistency, but the price makes that gamble easy to justify.
For a franchise trying to develop a young core, improve its scoring punch and maintain financial flexibility, this is exactly the kind of calculated move that can pay off quickly.
