Bennedict Mathurin has been considered the Indiana Pacers' top trade candidate all season, mostly due to his impending restricted free agency. And now that he is expected to be sidelined indefinitely because of a right thumb sprain, there are real reasons to believe that Mathurin has already played his final game as a member of the Pacers.
Should the Pacers trade Bennedict Mathurin this season?
There are pros and cons to Indiana possibly trading Mathurin ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Most notably, trading him would avoid having to pay him potentially $25 million a season. Given that there are still questions about his long-term role and fit with the Pacers, it might be better for them to just get as much value in return as possible instead of overpaying him.
On the flip side, however, there is a lot to like about the Canadian native. He is an incredibly skilled isolation scorer who has made strides as a defender and passer in an expanded role this season. Though he can be a bit streaky (he has 10 games this season of shooting below 30% from deep), he can get hot in a second and is borderline unstoppable when he's on.
Additionally, Mathurin is still just 23 years old and perfectly fits Indiana's timeline. He can help the team contribute in both the short and long run. And if he can continue to develop, he will become a real asset for the Pacers once they are ready to re-enter the title picture.
So what should the Pacers ultimately do? There are plenty of risks involved, no matter the decision they make, but in theory, they would likely be better off keeping him around and just re-signing him in the offseason.
The concerns about Mathurin's fit in Indiana are valid. He is a bit of a ball-stopper in a system that relies heavily on ball movement and pushing the tempo. And given that it is still unclear whether he's going to be a long-term sixth man or a starter in the Pacers' lineup, giving him a big contract could backfire.
It is also safe to assume that, if the Pacers want an upgrade at center (which multiple reports suggest they do), they may have to part ways with the Arizona alum due to his value and contract situation.
Trading Mathurin wouldn't outright be a bad idea for the Pacers. But above all else, he is still incredibly talented, is young, and has proven that he can succeed despite being in a less-than-ideal situation (for his game). In his first 10 games this season, Mathurin averaged 21.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 44.2% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc.
The Pacers clearly have a talented wing in Mathurin, who can be a legitimate contributor for a long time. If anything, they would probably be better off re-signing him in the offseason and just trading him in the future if need be.
What they end up doing remains to be seen. But as it stands, there are very real reasons to believe that Mathurin's time in Indiana is up, and that he may have already played his final game for the blue and gold.