As the NBA trade market begins to take shape, the Indiana Pacers have signaled a willingness to part with a core young scorer as they pursue help in the frontcourt. According to a recent report, guard Bennedict Mathurin has emerged as a central trade chip as Indiana evaluates options to address its biggest positional need.
During a recent episode of Clutch Scoops, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel said the Pacers have made their intentions clear regarding Mathurin’s availability.
“They made it abundantly clear that Bennedict Mathurin is available in trade talks right now. They are going to utilize him to likely make a sizable upgrade to their front court before trade deadline because they don’t want to pay Mathurin a nine figure deal and so what type of big men will they go out and get? Are they going to find somebody who is just like Myles Turner? Because Kristaps Porzingis would fit that description or do they go with a more traditional big man, like a Walker Kessler or a Daniel Gafford that can play in pick and roll scenarios.”
Mathurin, 23, is in his fourth NBA season after being selected No. 6 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft and is enjoying a career year amid Tyrese Haliburton’s absence while he recovers from an Achilles tear suffered during the NBA Finals. Mathurin is averaging 20.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three-point range across 15 appearances, playing 32.6 minutes per contest. Despite his production, the Pacers have struggled to a 6–20 start, most recently falling 108–89 to the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
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Pacers weigh Bennedict Mathurin’s looming payday against potential frontcourt targets
Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) reacts to a foul called against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center.
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Mathurin is in the final year of his four-year, $29.9 million rookie contract and is earning $9.1 million this season. He is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, a looming financial decision that has influenced Indiana’s willingness to explore trade scenarios.
Among the frontcourt targets mentioned by Siegel is Kristaps Porzingis. The 30-year-old big man is averaging 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range across 13 games, playing 25.9 minutes per contest. Porziņģis is in the final season of a two-year, $60 million contract and is earning $30.7 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Indiana has also been linked to Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford as a more traditional interior option. Gafford, 27, is averaging 8.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 61 percent from the field across 16 games and 13 starts, playing 22.9 minutes per contest. He signed a three-year, $54.2 million contract extension with Dallas this past offseason and is earning $17.2 million this season.
While Walker Kessler was also mentioned as a theoretical fit, the 24-year-old Utah Jazz center recently suffered a season-ending torn labrum in his left shoulder. Prior to the injury, Kessler was averaging 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, three assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 70.3 percent from the field across five appearances.
For now, the Pacers will continue surveying the trade landscape following the offseason departure of Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana will conclude its two-game homestand with a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks (18–7), who recently won the NBA Cup. The Pacers then head out on a two-game road trip to face the New Orleans Pelicans (5–22) on Saturday and the Boston Celtics (15–11) next Monday.