Bennedict Mathurin has the chance to shine brightly with the Clippers.
Bennedict Mathurin didn’t land in Los Angeles to be a savior. He landed there to be a potential solution — the kind of wing scorer who can keep the Clippers’ offense humming when the starters sit, and (if it clicks) swing a couple of games.
That’s the bet the Clippers made at the trade deadline, when they shipped starting center Ivica Zubac (and forward Kobe Brown) to Indiana and brought back Mathurin, big Isaiah Jackson, and a stack of draft capital.
How he got to LA — and why the deal matters
From the Pacers’ side, the logic was clear: they wanted a true starting center, and Zubac has been one of the league’s best rebounders this season. From the Clippers’ side, it was about getting younger on the wing and stocking up picks while still trying to win now.
Mathurin is the headliner because wing scorers travel well. You don’t need to rewire an offense for him to help. Give him minutes, give him matchups, let him attack.
The contract pressure is real (in a good way)
There’s another layer here that makes the Mathurin fit feel urgent: he’s in the final year of his contract and is set up to be a restricted free agent this summer.
That matters for both sides.
For Mathurin, it’s a built-in motivator. He’s playing for his next deal, and the best way to do that is to produce in meaningful minutes on a team trying to climb the West standings.
For the Clippers, it’s a tryout with stakes. If he pops, they’ve found a long-term piece and can match offers this offseason. If he doesn’t, it’s harder to justify paying starter-level money for a microwave scorer who hasn’t fully settled.
Two games in, the early role is simple: bench wing, real minutes
So far, the Clippers aren’t making this complicated. Mathurin has come off the bench in each of his first two games with LA, working as a wing sub who can spell the starters and give the second unit a shot of aggression.
His debut was the classic new team, new timing game: nine points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes in Houston.
Game two looked more like what LA wants: in a tight 105–102 win over the Rockets, Mathurin put up 16 points and lived at the line (9-for-10 FT), the kind of scoring profile that could play in the postseason (if the Clippers get there) because it doesn’t rely on a perfect shooting night.
Why this next role should fit his game
Mathurin has always been at his best when he’s playing downhill — attacking gaps, drawing contact, and turning broken possessions into points. That skill set is even more valuable on a veteran team, where the goal isn’t develop him through mistakes, it’s win the eight minutes where the offense usually gets weird.
This bench-wing lane should help him because:
- He gets cleaner matchups. Second units tend to have fewer elite stoppers.
- He can be a primary option without hijacking the whole offense. Short bursts, clear job.
- He doesn’t have to be perfect defensively to be useful. If he competes and rebounds, the scoring carries weight.
The trick is that “bench scorer” can’t just mean take tough shots. The Clippers will want him to run when he can, cut when stars draw attention, and keep the ball moving when the first look isn’t there. Do that, and his scoring becomes additive.
How he can help the Clippers keep surging — and escape the Play-In
Here’s the reality: the Clippers have been better lately, but the West is unforgiving. They’re 26–28 and sitting 10th — that’s Play-In territory, not comfortably in.
And yet, there’s a reason the vibes are less doom-and-gloom than that record suggests. The Clippers have gone 17–6 in a stretch of games, even amid roster churn. Mathurin can help that climb in the least glamorous way possible: by winning the minutes that usually decide games.
That’s where Mathurin can be a difference-maker — not by becoming a star overnight, but by making the Clippers’ in-between stretches less painful.
What to watch post-All-Star break
If you’re tracking this Mathurin post-All-Star, keep an eye on:
- Minutes: Does he stay in the mid-20s, or do they treat him as a 15-minute spark?
- Free throws: the easiest indicator that he’s attacking the right way.
- Closing time: he doesn’t have to start to finish games — earning that trust is the real upgrade.
Mathurin’s Clippers chapter is basically a perfect storm of timing: a team trying to climb out of the play-in, a wing scorer who fits the instant offense need, and a contract year that should keep his edge sharp. If the role stays simple — spell the starting wings, punish second units, and bring reliable aggression — this could end up being one of those deadline moves that looks even smarter in April than it did in February.
