What Bennedict Mathurin said about impending free agency decision

When the LA Clippers made the difficult decision to trade away Ivica Zubac, they acquired a couple of pieces that could pay dividends down the line. The draft picks acquired in the trade were obviously the headliners, especially given the protections for the 2026 pick with the chance to land a star level player in the NBA Draft.

But the trade also included two young players in Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson who could also be game-changers for the Clippers.

At age 23, Mathurin has been able to showcase his talent as a high-level scorer in the NBA, averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals with the Clippers. Across 26 appearances, 25 of which came as a reserve, Mathurin averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steal per game. His struggles came in the efficiency department, as the guard shot just 42.6 percent from the field and an abysmal 20.7 percent from three.

Mathurin’s first home game as a member of the Clipper was a career-high tying 38-point explosion against the Denver Nuggets out of the All-Star break. His final game was his best three-point shooting game of the season, making five of six attempts from beyond the arc.

Between the injuries, the trades, and the roller coaster of a season, Mathurin enjoyed his first three months in Los Angeles.

“It was great man,” Bennedict Mathurin said during his exit interview after Wednesday night’s loss against the Golden State Warriors. “So many ups and downs, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m asking God for tougher battles, I want to be a better person, a better player, so I wouldn’t want it any other way. And I was blessed to play with a lot of great players. Played with Kawhi and the rest of the guys on the team. Being able to be coached by T Lue. Great, great organization over here. So I was blessed. I just see it as a great opportunity.”


After finishing his fourth season in the league, Mathurin is set to enter restricted free agency this summer. He had a couple of strong seasons with the Pacers and a brief stint with the Clippers that featured both highs and lows, so it’s a tad difficult to predict what Mathurin’s market looks like right now.

But as a restricted free agent, Mathurin and his representation will be able to scour the league to get a better gauge of his value after a fascinating season that included a toe injury and a mid-season trade that meant packing a few bags for the West Coast with no time to collect himself or his belongings.

“He’s a restricted free agent, so we have the right to match any offer,” Lawrence Frank said at Friday’s end-of-season media availability with members of the media. “But I think Benn did a lot of good. Obviously as a young player, there’s a lot of improvement that can be made and as we’ve seen here both with current players and guys that had played here, guys make huge gains… At 23, some of the weaknesses that Benn has, he’s going to get incrementally better at those things because he’s a worker. I think he has good DNA, and with free agency, he’s a restricted free agent so we have the right to match and at the appropriate time, can we find a deal that works for both sides and that’s how it’s supposed to work. Not just with Benn, but with John [Collins] and anyone else. There’s two sides to it and it has to make sense for both sides.”

For Bennedict Mathurin, Los Angeles, the Clippers, and Intuit Dome already feel like home.

“It already feels like home, but I understand the business part of it,” Mathurin added. “It’s never really home, it’s only temporary, but I mean if it’s over here, then it be over here. I think that it would be great if it happens. We have a lot of great guys on the team. We have a lot of talent, especially young, young talent and a great coaching staff. Whether it’s from on the court, off the court, media, y’all, the training staff. So it would be great to keep going and call it a temporary home, but if it’s not the case, then I’ve enjoyed my time over here.

“It’s hard being traded. You go from a place to another one in literally 24 hours. I have to pack two suitcases and a bag and come to work. I’m not complaining, but I’m just saying it definitely is a change, my first time being traded. Hopefully it’s not many many other times that I get traded, but I love it man. It’s really a blessing to live the experience… If things align on both parties, then I’m looking forward to having a great time over here.”

Mathurin dealt with a toe injury in the earlier portions of the season with the Indiana Pacers, and the injury resurfaced later in the season with the Clippers, when he missed a road trip rehabbing the injury. The whirlwind of a season opened opportunities for Mathurin to flourish in a new environment better suited for him, but the injuries played a factor in holding him down quite a bit.

“The whole season I’ve been dealing with a lot of injuries. I hurt my toe in the second game of the season. I’ll never quit in life. If I could stand on one leg, I would play, but it was unbearable. I couldn’t play. I found a way to step back on the court, the whole season dealing with this, hand injuries, shoulder injuries. So nah, I think I’m very, very far away from what I can do. So much more to improve on both sides of the ball and every aspect of the game. I’m looking forward to improving. People may see it as a critique or weakness, but I love weaknesses. You can either pout and be sad about it or you can turn it into your strength. I’m all in for it.”

Mathurin will now have a long offseason to get healthy and address the laundry list of things the Clippers will ask him to get better at before the start of the 2026-27 season. Whether that’s with the Clippers remains to be seen.