Rick Carlisle
The Indiana Pacers currently at 6-21, a far fry from the NBA Finals runner-up they were a season ago. Injuries and player departures alike have played a role in the season going the way it has.
Tyrese Haliburton will not be coming back this year, and it’s also clear that the goal here would be to make sure all is set come the start of 2026-27.
It is what that in mind, that the team is faced with a dilemma. Star forward Bennedict Mathurin has his contract set to expire at the end of this season, with a big potential extension coming.
Per Brett Siegel, who covers the NBA for ClutchPoints, said that Indiana is not willing to offer the forward anything lucrative.
Would Indiana actually consider moving the rising star? Let’s discuss.
Bennedict Mathurin On the Move?
Bennedict Mathurin has been in and out of the Pacers starting lineup during his four-year run with the franchise. He was their sixth man during the run to the finals, providing big buckets whenever the team needed it.
Amidst the injury scares of 2025-26, he has been averaging nearly 20 points per game, which is a career-best. His performance during the opening week of the year had everybody in the league buzzing.
Indiana has both Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam on max contracts over the next few seasons, with nobody else on the team set to make over $20 million. Mathurin is the only in-house free-agent coming into the offseason that they will have to make this choice on.
The biggest decision may be to make the trade to keep financial flexibility. This is a player that may well be worth multiple draft picks, and could provide future assets.
When Myles Turner bolted for Milwaukee, it left the team without a legitimate starting center. A few different players got opportunties early in the season before Jay Huff took over.
The NBA Blocks leader has offered plenty of upside for the Pacers, and is on the books for just $2 million next year, and $3 million in the following.
Outside of Huff though, it has been a struggle. And even with all of the blocks, there is very limited offensive value.
Bennedict Mathurin’s True Value to Pacers
Bennedict Mathurin’s value was on full display during the 2025 postseason. A player that could come in off the bench and be a change-of-pace scorer. Every team needs someone that can drive the ball to the hole and get foul calls.
That is what Mathurin was for Indiana, whenever he could come into the game for Aaron Nesmith or Andrew Nembhard. And in a slightly larger offensive role this year, the numbers have improved once again.
The decisions made though, are about the long-term interest. If moving their fourth-year forward means they get a starting caliber center for the extended future, that would be a move that is hard to argue with.
The return value could be in the form of a starting caliber big man, and perhaps some draft capital. Considering the moves this franchise made over the last few years, just leave it to them to get it right, should this be the route they go.