After trading Bennedict Mathurin to the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this year, the Indiana Pacers are in desperate need of a new bench shot creator.
Mathurin had his flaws, but whenever the offense would go stagnant, he could always make it come back to life. He was a microwave off the bench who could just about score wherever and whenever he wanted. Even though he was streaky, it was always clear that he had immense talent and confidence as an iso scorer. And now that he's no longer with the team, Indiana doesn't have that anymore.
And it needs to figure out as soon as possible.
The Pacers need to replace Bennedict Mathurin
Right now, the Pacers don't have anyone off the bench who can consistently drive to the basket, score on all three levels, and just take over a game the way Mathurin could. The closest would probably be Jarace Walker, but he's not a good enough iso scorer to be a one-for-one replacement (and that's especially true since he may have already played his final game for the team).
If Indiana is lucky enough to get its first-round pick back in the draft, it might have an opportunity to address this need by selecting either BYU's AJ Dybantsa or Kansas' Darryn Peterson. But the team will need a lot of luck to go their way for this to happen, and it will be incredibly important for them to look into backup plans.
Another name that could be worth keeping an eye on is Ayo Dosunmu, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Pacers reportedly had interest in him before he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he is playing some incredible ball right now.
The Chicago native scored 43 points on 13-for-17 shooting in the Timberwolves' Game 4 win against the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday, and he put the entire basketball world on notice.
Dosunmu would be a fantastic fit in Indiana, and he would be an incredible Mathurin replacement. He will also likely be too expensive for Indiana's liking (he is making $7.5 this season and might end up signing a deal worth $20/year this offseason).
Some other intriguing free agents include CJ McCollum (who might also be in line for a huge payday), Anfernee Simons, and Norman Powell. Will the Pacers get any of them? Probably not, especially if they are still looking to remain below the luxury tax threshold. But it's clear that something needs to happen -- it's just a question of how.
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