Bennedict Mathurin’s brief run with the LA Clippers has given the team a clean read on both his upside and his flaws. The 23-year-old has played 21 games in his new threads since the trade, averaging 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 29.2 minutes while shooting 43.9% from the floor as a six-foot-five wing.
Those numbers show why the Clippers were willing to give Mathurin room to work, and why Tyronn Lue granted him freedom with the ball because of his age and potential. But the same aggressive style that helped him put up points has also created concerns. The article says Mathurin has a problem getting downhill with a selfish mindset that has often yielded unsuccessful possessions, and that he hunts for foul calls when attacking the basket.
That matters now because the Clippers could offer Mathurin less money as a restricted free agent than he desires. Lawrence Frank is described as extremely frugal with the team’s money, and the front office’s calculation is not just about Mathurin alone. Saving several million dollars on his contract could give the Clippers room to add other key free agents.
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The tension is simple: Mathurin has enough production to argue for a bigger payday, but the Clippers have a reason to keep their offer tight. His scoring punch makes him useful, yet the same attacking habits that help him fill the box score may also depress his market value if rival teams see the same inefficient possessions the Clippers have already seen.
For Mathurin, the next stage is no longer about proving he belongs in the rotation. It is about whether the Clippers value his scoring enough to pay for it, or whether they decide the safer move is to keep their powder dry and spend elsewhere.
