The jury is still out on whether the Indiana Pacers should bring Bennedict Mathurin back as a restricted free agent in the offseason. He is incredibly talented, but there are valid concerns about his long-term fit and role in Indiana.
Ahead of February's trade deadline, the Pacers have a decision to make regarding the Canadian native. They can either trade him now (most likely for a true Myles Turner replacement) or they can hold onto him and re-sign him in the offseason.
Because of this, it would make sense for Indiana to at least make Mathurin available in trade talks this season. But no matter what, the team shouldn't dump him unless the return is way too good to pass up on.
The Pacers should be picky in a potential Bennedict Mathurin trade
Mathurin shouldn't be an untouchable for Indiana this season, largely because of his contract situation. But that also doesn't mean the team should be willing to move on from him the first chance it gets.
The concerns about keeping Mathurin in Indiana for the long run are valid. He is a ball-dominant wing in a system that relies on ball movement and pushing the tempo. It also remains to be seen whether the Pacers view him as a long-term starter or bench player (which could be a problem depending on how much they would pay him to re-sign him).
However, there is also no denying his talent. And because of his unique skillset and his ability to generate buckets at a high level, the Pacers may be better off just keeping him around and figuring it all out later.
Mathurin is a player who can take a lot of pressure off Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam when he's on the court. Considering that Indiana is in a good spot to re-enter the title picture as soon as next season, it would be incredibly valuable to keep someone like him around.
Still, there are cons to not trading the Arizona alum this season. And perhaps the biggest one is that doing so would give the Pacers their best opportunity to find a new starting center they can truly depend on.
The Pacers have a tough decision ahead of them, which is why it's smart for them to explore all their options and keep all possibilities open, including trading Mathurin. However, unless the trade is so clearly worth doing for them that it would be ridiculous not to do it, they may be better off just keeping the 23-year-old around and re-evaluating in the offseason.