Bennedict Mathurin remains one of the biggest unresolved names on the NBA free-agent market, with multiple teams monitoring his restricted free agency while the Los Angeles Clippers weigh whether to match an outside offer or pursue a sign-and-trade.
According to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls have emerged as the two most serious outside suitors for the 23-year-old wing. Because the Clippers extended Mathurin a qualifying offer after acquiring him from the Indiana Pacers before the trade deadline, Los Angeles retains the right to match any offer sheet he signs.
Mathurin enters free agency after completing his four-year, $29.9 million rookie contract. Jake Fischer has also reported that while the Clippers remain interested in re-signing him, they have been open to discussing sign-and-trade scenarios with interested teams.
The Pelicans’ interest dates back to discussions they held with Indiana before last season’s trade deadline. Robinson reported that New Orleans views Mathurin as a long-term building block alongside its young core.
“They chased him at the deadline,” one source told Robinson. “The Pelicans have always been big fans of his and are very interested in trying to get him. They see him as a core piece, as a starting-caliber player. Their ultimate goal is to figure out how to build around guys like Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, and maybe Zion.”
The same source added that executive Joe Dumars has prioritized toughness, competitiveness and fearlessness while reshaping the franchise, qualities the organization believes Mathurin possesses.
Chicago has also entered the picture after a significant offseason overhaul. The Bulls replaced Arturas Karnisovas with Bryson Graham as executive vice president of basketball operations and hired Tiago Splitter as head coach following a 31-51 season that left them 12th in the Eastern Conference and out of the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.
The Bulls have already added No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, No. 15 selection Dailyn Swain, center Nic Claxton and veteran scorer Norman Powell. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis remain central pieces after productive 2025-26 campaigns, but Mathurin would give Chicago another young perimeter scorer capable of creating offense.
Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 54 games split between Indiana and the Clippers last season. After arriving in Los Angeles, he posted 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 26 appearances while averaging 30.0 minutes. Although he shot 20.7 percent from three with the Clippers, he converted 50.2 percent of his two-point attempts and averaged 7.3 free-throw attempts per game, illustrating his downhill attacking style.
Over four NBA seasons, Mathurin has averaged 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 263 regular-season games, establishing himself as a reliable scoring option whether starting or coming off the bench.
Robinson also noted that Mathurin’s playoff production continues to attract interest around the league. He has scored at least 20 points off the bench in more than five postseason games, reinforcing his reputation as an instant-offense contributor capable of performing under pressure.
For now, however, the Clippers remain in control. Any team hoping to sign Mathurin must either convince Los Angeles not to match an offer sheet or work out a sign-and-trade agreement. Until that happens, one of the offseason’s most intriguing restricted free agency situations remains unresolved.
