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Clippers' Bennedict Mathurin Reveals True Feelings Toward Pacers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Afseth | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 5:38 PM ET

The LA Clippers host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome, and Bennedict Mathurin gets to see his old team for the first time since Indiana shipped him to Los Angeles on Feb. 5. The Pacers dealt the 23-year-old guard along with Isaiah Jackson and two first-round picks to the Clippers in exchange for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.

After the Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Mathurin spoke with The Athletic's Law Murray about what the matchup means to him.

"It's gonna be fun, man. I'm gonna have a lot of fun," Mathurin said. "I've had a great time over there — a few and a half years. There's no hate towards both parties. It was pure."

Mathurin was the No. 6 overall pick out of Arizona in 2022, a Montreal native who came up through the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico before college. Indiana is all he has known as a pro — 237 games across parts of four seasons, 109 starts.

Mar 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin (9) drives around Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer (61) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

He averaged 16.7 points as a rookie, dipped to 14.5 his second year, then got back to 16.1 in 2024-25 before posting a career-high 17.8 this season in 28 games with the Pacers. He played in all 22 of Indiana's postseason games during the run to the NBA Finals last season, averaging 11.0 points off the bench. The Pacers chose not to extend him before this season, and the trade was a matter of time.

"That's pretty much all I know when it comes to the NBA," Mathurin said. "I feel like it's good to be on a different part of the game right now, on a different team, being able to compete against my team."

In eight games with the Clippers, Mathurin is averaging 18.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 30.4 minutes. His 3-point shot has gone cold — 17.2 percent from deep compared to 37.2 percent in Indiana — but he is getting to the foul line way more often, averaging 7.5 free-throw attempts per game versus 5.2 with the Pacers. With Kawhi Leonard back from an ankle injury, Mathurin has moved to the bench, but he still put up 17 points and seven rebounds Monday at Golden State.

The Clippers (29-31) need him. The Pacers (15-46) need to keep losing. Indiana's 2026 first-round pick is protected 1-4 and 10-30 in the trade. If it falls between five and nine, the Clippers get it. The Pacers are dead last in offensive efficiency and have already been hit with a $100,000 fine from the NBA for player participation violations. Wednesday is not just a reunion game.

Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. EST.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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