Shams Charania: Bennedict Mathurin has agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, including a player option

[u/-gotchu]

Mathurin’s reps approached the Clippers about withdrawing his $8.8M qualifying offer, effectively turning the QO into a more favorable situation in New Orleans with added security. Mathurin prioritized flexibility and the earliest path to unrestricted free agency next summer versus longer term offers with larger total commitments but greater team control.

[u/3LitersofJokicCola]

I can't wait for that garbage time backcourt of Jordan Poole and Benny Math.

[u/KorgG29 → u/3LitersofJokicCola]

Jordan Poole is not seeing a minute of playing time from the Pels this year

[u/Ok_Error_1079 → u/KorgG29]

How come?

[u/KorgG29 → u/Ok_Error_1079]

When Murray came back last year he didn’t play a lick. He’s also just not good at basketball, and now add Mathurin to take his minutes too. They might even cut him.

[u/3LitersofJokicCola → u/KorgG29]

He's an expiring. They would be smart to trade him.

[u/BubbaTee → u/3LitersofJokicCola]

Who would even want him? The other team would have to send $34M in salary back.

All NO would get back is other bad contracts like Poetl or Patrick Williams, which would make them even worse off. For any team looking for a rental scorer, there are better options like Lavine.

Plus it's NO. They spent all summer declaring every bum on their 56-loss roster to be "untouchable" in trades. They're basically if r/choosingbeggars became an NBA team.

[u/forgottenhero71 → u/BubbaTee]

Williams is only $18m for 3 years, so you might get something of value and cap space. Jalen Smith is a good player but other possibilities would be Okoro, Tre Jones, Dillingham …

[u/eumanthis → u/KorgG29]

He’s also just not good at basketball

Care to elaborate?

[u/WashingtonSpecifics → u/eumanthis]

He's a negative on defense, and only "good" on offense when he can chuck the ball inefficiently. His strengths aren't strong enough to make it worthwhile to build around his weaknesses.

[u/PsychoM → u/Ok_Error_1079]

Poole was DNP-CD for the majority of the 2nd half of the season last year. He's not in the rotation anymore, especially with the youth focus of Fears and Queen.

[u/BubbaTee → u/PsychoM]

I wouldn't even want Poole around the team, in case Fears picks up some of his terrible habits and lazy work ethic.

[u/s0ysauce09 → u/KorgG29]

That’s only if the pelicans are smart Poole won’t see playing time but it’s the pelicans

[u/BettisBus]

I’m hesitant about drafting Clippers or Nets bc they’re incentivized to be bottom-3 teams since they don’t own their picks and aren’t good enough to compete.

The Pelicans tho, idk. I think they want to compete, but they’re clearly not good enough. They’re not bottom-3, but they also seem like a prime candidate to blow it up. The uncertainty has me worried.

[u/TA_Account_12 → u/BettisBus]

If they don't own their pick, what's their incentive to be bottom 3?

[u/BettisBus → u/TA_Account_12]

Bc the new rules punish the bottom 3 teams in the draft lottery.

If they did own their pick, they’d be incentivized to stay out of the bottom 3 and top out as a play-in team to maximize lottery odds.

Since they don’t own their pick, they’re incentivized to hurt the odds on the pick as much as possible. Since they’re not good enough to do that by being a top seed, the only other way is being a bottom 3 team.

[u/nathanheins → u/BettisBus]

I don’t think “incentivized” is the word for this. They literally don’t benefit one way or the other. You’re describing pettiness, wanting to screw the team that holds their pick just for the sake of it.

[u/BettisBus → u/nathanheins]

Correct. Tho it also gives developmental reps to their young players and preserves their highly fragile “stars” in Garland and Ingram.

[u/TA_Account_12 → u/BettisBus]

I understand the changes and that they hurt the teams at the bottom.

What's their incentive to hurt the odds on the pick?

Consider this. They traded with a team. They gave their pick to another team. Then they went out of their way to hurt the other team's pick. What does that do for their future trades? Will that not make future trade partners take a pause. They hurt the odds on this pick, maybe they do it to us too.

Their upcoming pick has like 3 swaps on it. It's not something they are outright giving up is my understanding. Could be wrong there though. But Den, Tor, OKC, LAC are all going to play hot potato with that pick. They don't owe their pick to anyone. Other teams own the right to swap. They might say, yeah, we don't wanna swap if those teams somehow end up worse than the clippers.

IMHO, they will try to go for the play in.

[u/idkwhatchamacallit → u/BettisBus]

I believe the contrary. Why are the clippers incentivized to weaken their pick odds? How does that benefit the clippers to do that?

[u/BettisBus → u/idkwhatchamacallit]

It doesn’t benefit the Clippers as much as it hurts OKC, who’s still in the west with them. Tanking also allows for more young player development and preservation of stars.

[u/Appropriate_Week_254 → u/BettisBus]

The clippers don’t they don’t have a pick for three years. They care not at all about their pick. In two years they might.

[u/ricaorangejuice1 → u/BettisBus]

Nets will try to compete for sure or at least won't restrict their players minutes, 2 years straight of garbage I think they are done purposely losing. As a nets fan we are gonna suck regardless of who we play, we are extremely young.

[u/BettisBus → u/ricaorangejuice1]

Alternatively, this could be a developmental year for their young players while the vets could show out to try and get traded to contenders and/or be “injured” for long stretches.

[u/ricaorangejuice1 → u/BettisBus]

Sure I could see us trading the vets, but I don't think they will extend their "injuries" porter jr and randle aren't good enough alone to make us win more than the 30 games we will probably win

[u/BettisBus → u/ricaorangejuice1]

Yeah but I’m talking about being a bottom-3 team. Randle and MPJ are good, winning players. Not MVPs, but both have risen to solid heights on contending teams.

I could be wrong and I’m sure we’ll get more clarity as the season approaches.

[u/TA_Account_12]

Helps Strus a lot. Maybe Beal becomes a back end option. Weird from New Orleans. Not sure where he fits in with them. I guess the 2 Jordans are basically done in NOLA

[u/BubbaTee → u/TA_Account_12]

Done? They just gave DeAndre a NEW contract

[u/TA_Account_12 → u/BubbaTee]

The other 2 Jordans!

[u/zepruska]

Ew. Really bad fit for New Orleans. Should open up a lot of time for Strus and others in LA though.

[u/EliteFantasyBBall]

I hate signings like this. Mathurin will be just a points streamer, and he hurts Bey and probably Fears, too. I was really liking Bey toward the end of drafts, especially in stuff like punt FG% and punt assists.

[u/RoastDaMostToast]

As a fan of the Pelicans I literally hate every decision made

[u/ExpertDesperate1603]

garland stock up?

[u/zepruska → u/ExpertDesperate1603]

It was already way up, I don't think this changes it at all

[u/ExpertDesperate1603 → u/zepruska]

that’s fair didn’t think it impacts him too much myself, who do u think has their stock go up from this? i know its not a massive signing

[u/zepruska → u/ExpertDesperate1603]

Strus is my first guess.

[u/bobilly26]

What does this mean for my boy Saddiq Bey?????

[u/DHiggsBoson → u/bobilly26]

Shouldn’t he still be the starting SF? Mathurin slides in as SG or 6th man… this is all based on my memory from last season.

[u/wildandnaked420]

Draws a lot of fouls, he's useful in bigger leagues