Bennedict Mathurin signs 2-year deal with Pelicans

Selected 23rd overall in the 2024 draft, Johnson has bounced around in his two NBA seasons. After splitting his rookie campaign between Milwaukee and Washington, he appeared in 48 games for the Wizards and Mavericks in 2025-26, averaging 3.3 points in 9.5 minutes. This is the second time this offseason that Johnson has been traded, with the Mavericks sending him to Memphis as part of a deal headlined by Santi Aldama. New Orleans likely executed Tuesday’s reported transaction to free up the space needed to make Bennedict Mathurin’s signing official. As a result, fantasy managers should not expect Johnson to become a factor next season.

Like Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Mathurin’s status as a restricted free agent has made the task of landing a contract a challenging one. Few teams have the cap space to make the former lottery pick an attractive offer, and the Clippers also have to factor in the Kawhi Leonard trade, which the Raptors paused while the NBA investigates his contract. According to Fischer, the Pelicans remain interested in adding Mathurin via sign-and-trade. However, with more players becoming trade-eligible in September, that may have to wait. Another option for Mathurin is to accept the Clippers’ qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Strus will get a fresh start after three seasons in Cleveland. His defense and floor spacing should help make an immediate impact for the Clippers as they look to establish a new identity in the post-Kawhi Leonard era. Strus could start alongside Darius Garland, but his presence in a crowded backcourt will make the rotation difficult to project. Kris Dunn, Bennedict Mathurin (RFA) and Gradey Dick all stand to lose out on minutes with Strus on the squad.

While Mathurin has yet to find a home after hitting restricted free agency, teams have expressed interest in the former lottery pick. In addition to the Pelicans, the Bulls have reportedly joined the pursuit. While Chicago added Norman Powell in free agency and selected Caleb Wilson in the draft, adding another wing scorer like Mathurin to the mix could give their offense a boost. However, the Bulls would likely need to free up cap space to make an offer that the Clippers would refuse to match to land Mathurin. For most of his NBA career, Mathurin has been a better option for points leagues than category leagues.

There were certainly some lows for Mathurin in April, but he was able to end his first season as a Clipper with back-to-back 20-point outings. There aren’t any questions about his scoring ability, but he hasn’t been able to contribute value in other categories consistently, and that is unlikely to change next season. He’s still a talented young guard, and he played well in this game, but that shouldn’t change how fantasy managers view him heading into next season.

Mathurin capped the regular season with a solid overall performance, finishing one rebound and two assists shy of a triple-double. And he played 32 minutes, the lone Clipper to surpass 30, which may have been an attempt by head coach Tyronn Lue to build up the young wing’s confidence. Mathurin entered Sunday having totaled 24 points on 6-of-22 shooting in his prior four appearances. Even with Kawhi Leonard back in the fold, the Clippers will need a productive Mathurin to navigate the Play-In Tournament and reach the playoffs.

Mathurin posted solid percentages and was active on the glass, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Clippers from being outclassed by the red-hot Spurs. And after scoring four points on 2-of-7 shooting in Tuesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, he needed to have a good Thursday night individually. The Clippers play once more in Week 23, on Sunday in Sacramento, and that’s a matchup in which Mathurin can flourish.

Mathurin was whistled for a technical during the first half after arguing over an uncalled foul, and that may have given the Clippers’ reserve a boost. He attempted 14 free throws after the tech, contributing to an efficient 28-point afternoon for Mathurin. Add in the rebounds, and this was a solid end to Week 22 for Mathurin. He’ll look to put together another solid offensive showing on Tuesday against the Trail Blazers.

Playing in Indiana for the first time since he was dealt to the Clippers in the Ivica Zubac trade, Mathurin struggled with his shot. He shot 1-of-5 from inside the arc, but Mathurin compensated for those struggles by getting to the foul line. The Clippers’ wing shot 75 percent from the charity stripe, with the 12 points on free throws boosting his points tally. Sunday’s game against the Bucks may be better for Mathurin, given the emotions associated with his return to Indiana on Friday.

Miller did not play in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors, with his absence coinciding with Bennedict Mathurin’s return from a toe injury. If Miller returns, Nicolas Batum is the player most likely to lose out on playing time.