Pacers make their stance on Bennedict Mathurin crystal clear

No surprise here.
Indiana Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin
Indiana Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin | Elsa/GettyImages

The Indiana Pacers and Bennedict Mathurin didn't agree to an extension by Monday's deadline, setting him up to become a restricted free agent next season. For an organization that doesn't want to pay the luxury tax, not extending Mathurin wasn't surprising, especially not with Aaron Neismith signing a two-year extension.

Mathurin is entering a prove-it year. The timing lines up, as he'll be the starting shooting guard with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon.

The 23-year-old guard started 49 of the 72 regular-season games he played last season for the Pacers. Rick Carlisle opted to move Mathurin to the bench in favor of Neismith, whom Mathurin replaced in the starting lineup after he hurt his ankle. Now, they'll both be in the starting lineup.

Pacers didn't extend Ben Mathurin before the deadline

Unlike Neismith, though, Mathurin will be playing for his future in Indiana. You can't take what happens during the preseason too seriously, but if it was any indication of how Mathurin will look in year four, he's a player the Pacers will want to keep next summer. He finished the preseason with a 31-point outing on 11-of-12 shooting from the field (4-of-4 from three).

Pascal Siakam (20.2 points) and Haliburton (18.6) led Indiana in points per game during the 2024-25 regular season, followed by Mathurin, who averaged 16.1 points per game. If Mathurin makes the leap that the Pacers and fans think he will, he should not only be in the top two in scoring for Indiana, but he could be the leading scorer.

Carlisle told him over the summer that the starting shooting guard spot would be his to lose this season. Having that kind of assurance from your head coach before the season starts means more than something, even though Mathurin didn't sign an extension. This season presents a challenge he hasn't dealt with yet, but he should welcome it with open arms. It seems like he already has.

Many people have pushed the Pacers to the side due to Haliburton's injury, even though the East is wide open, outside of the projected top two teams, the Cavaliers and Knicks. You know what could help Indiana? A breakout Mathurin season.

The Pacers weren't willing to go into the luxury tax to pay him before the season, but that doesn't mean their top 2026 offseason priority won't be to pay Mathurin. It's up to him to decide where (or if) he fits in Indiana's future.

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