The Indiana Pacers chose not to extend Bennedict Mathurin in the offseason. And just one game in, this is already beginning to look like a bad call for the team.
In Indiana's season-opening loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mathurin recorded a team-high 36 points on 9-for-19 shooting, 11 rebounds, and one assist in 45 minutes before fouling out. The Canadian native had a fantastic game and arguably looked like the best player on the court for the Pacers.
What was incredibly welcoming for Pacers fans to see was Mathurin's increased effort on defense. He didn't look like a lockdown defender, but he was constantly moving and making things difficult for Oklahoma City's offense and the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
After the game, the Arizona alum spoke about his impact on both sides of the ball, saying he is "up for" the challenge (h/t Michael Marot of The Associated Press).
“It’s a lot, being guarded by one of the best players in the game, (Lu) Dort and then guarding the best player in the NBA,” said Mathurin, who was 15 of 17 from the free throw line and scored 36 points. “It’s definitely a challenge, But I mean, I’m up for it.”
It would not be fair whatsoever to expect Mathurin to drop 36 or more points every game (though that would be pretty cool, right?). But if he can continue to level up his game throughout the season, that will pay dividends for him and the Pacers.
However, Mathurin's future in Indiana is up in the air. And if his first performance is any indication, he might ultimately play himself out of the Pacers' price range next summer.
Will Bennedict Mathurin stay in Indiana past this season?
The Pacers should hope so, but it's far from a guarantee.
Though they didn't sign him to a rookie-scale contract extension, this does not mean the team wants to move on from Mathurin. As it stands, the safest assumption is that Indiana will let him do his thing this year, prove his worth, and bring him back as a restricted free agent next summer.
At the very least, it seems like Mathurin wants to stay in Indiana despite not getting a contract based on his latest comments. However, he also made it clear that he has high expectations for himself this season. And, in a strange way, this could backfire for the Pacers (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the IndyStar).
"It's not that big of a deal, man," Mathurin said about not getting an extension. "Obviously, I would've loved to, but I'm not worried about that. It's just about going into the game, going into the season with my mind straight knowing that, you know what? I'm going to have a great season. I can actually be who I've been wanting to be. There's no worries for me about no extension."
Obviously, it's not right to say the Pacers don't want Mathurin to be successful this season. If they want to remain competitive without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, they need the 23-year-old to do his thing as a shot-creator and make life easier for Andrew Nembhard defensively.
However, if he plays too well, the Pacers may have no choice but to move on from him next summer.
This was a conversation point heading into this past offseason, and it will be one heading into the next one: the Pacers might still be looking to avoid paying the luxury tax. Signing Mathurin to a new contract would most likely push them over this threshold. And given that they may still be uncertain about his long-term role with the team, they may not be too interested in letting this happen.
To put it simply: that would be a massive mistake.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if Mathurin is a good fit in Indiana's system or not. He may not move the ball quickly, and his defense is questionable, but he is still an asset for the team and should be for the long haul.
Plus, if there is even a small inkling that the Pacers might not want to pay Mathurin next summer, other teams are almost certainly going to open up their wallets to bring him on.
Mathurin should be a Pacer for a long time, and there are reasons to believe that will be the case. However, the front office may have made a big mistake this past offseason, and it could cost them in the long run.