The New Orleans Pelicans' biggest offseason acquisition is, finally, officially in fold.
The team announced Friday morning that they have signed guard Bennedict Mathurin, a move that was first reported last month but could not be completed until corresponding moves were made. The Pelicans did that with a trade that sent Jordan Hawkins and Micah Peavy to the Grizzlies in exchange for draft picks and veteran Taj Gibson, who has since been released.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bennedict to New Orleans,” said Pelicans EVP Joe Dumars said in a release. “He embodies the toughness and competitiveness we want our team to play with every night, and his mental and physical approach aligns with the culture we are building.”
The deal for Mathurin is reported to be for 2 years and $16 million, though the second year will be a player option.
Mathurin has appeared in 263 games (110 starts), most coming with the Indiana Pacers, over four years after being selected No. 6 overall out of Arizona. He averaged a career high 15.4 points in 54 games last season split between the Indiana Pacers and L.A. Clippers. He'll add another hard-nosed wing player and scorer to a group that's looking to lean into that identity under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley.
Despite changing coaches and adding Mathurin, the Pelicans have largely remained with the status quo as far as the roster is concerned. The group will continue to be headlined by Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones. They'll also be hoping for a second-year leap from a pair of former first-round picks in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, both of whom had strong rookie seasons despite a 26-56 record and head coach Willie Green being let go early in the year.
The Pelicans will kick off their training camp later this month, and are scheduled to open the 2026-'27 season against the Pacers, Mathurin's former team, on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
