Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas just signed a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to remain with the team and become an unrestricted free agent next year. Even if indirectly, this may have just proven that the Indiana Pacers are making the right call by seemingly pushing Bennedict Mathurin into restricted free agency next summer.
Thomas' new deal just set the market for score-first guards. He had virtually no market as a restricted free agent and had to settle for the qualifying offer just to guarantee he is on a roster next season.
While not exactly the same situation, the Pacers can look to Thomas as an idea of what could be in store for Mathurin, who is unlikely to get a rookie-scale contract extension this offseason despite being eligible for one. The Canadian native wants a massive number, but if his free agency looks like Thomas', then the Pacers are making the right call by letting him hit the market.
The Pacers have a Bennedict Mathurin dilemma on their hands
Heading into the final year of his contract, it is looking like the Pacers are not going to give Mathurin an extension. At least not yet. Instead, they will give him a great opportunity to showcase his talents and prove his worth with an expanded role next season. What he does with this opportunity will likely decide whether his future will be in Indiana or elsewhere.
As it stands, the Arizona alum is expected to be Indiana's starting shooting guard next to Andrew Nembhard. Mathurin has been a starter before, but not a full-time one. That changes next season.
There is a lot to like about Mathurin and what he can do with a bigger role. He is a fantastic scorer and has regularly stepped up when the Pacers needed him. Additionally, assuming the Pacers slow their pace down with Nembhard running the point, this decision could benefit Mathurin and put him in an even better situation to succeed. However, his future in Indiana is up in the air for a reason.
Though he is a fantastic scorer, Mathurin is not a good fit in the Pacers' system. He relies heavily on isco scorer and has been referred to as a "ball-stopper." Given that the Pacers utilize fast-paced ball movement and improvisation, this makes things a lot more difficult for the team to mesh.
Furthermore, the 23-year-old does not provide enough value elsewhere for the Pacers to justify paying him a big contract and making him a part of their future when he is simply not a good fit. He has improved a lot as an overall team player, and that should not go unnoticed. However, unless he makes a major leap in this area, it might not be good enough.
Mathurin will have a chance to make his stance in Indiana clear next season. Of all the players to keep an eye on in Indiana next season, Mathurin may be at the top of the list. It is clear that he has talent and can contribute, but whether it will be good enough to solidify himself as a long-term asset for the Pacers remains to be seen.