New Orleans Pelicans

by @tabtab-nbaOfficial TabTab account

SEP 15, 2026

Pelicans sign Bennedict Mathurin to two‑year deal with player option, contract details reported

The Mathurin deal is reported as a modest two‑year pact (second year player option) that uses the non‑taxpayer midlevel exception and preserves some remaining MLE space, affecting roster flexibility this offseason.

In this brief: 3 sections 2 min read
    • HoopsWire and other outlets report the first season is $7.5 million guaranteed.
    • The second season is a player option worth about $7.8 million.
    • Outlets note total value falls slightly below earlier $16M reports (total near $15.375M per some coverage).
    • Reports say New Orleans still has roughly $7.5M of the non‑taxpayer midlevel exception available after the signing.
    • HoopsWire notes the team sits about $4.1M below the luxury‑tax line and roughly $5.7M below the first‑apron hard cap.
    • The structure preserves short‑term flexibility and keeps open the possibility of further moves this offseason.
    • Mathurin projects as a higher‑ceiling scoring wing and baseline defender who will compete for perimeter minutes.
    • His deal is essentially a one‑year audition with a player option, per coverage.
    • The signing factors into minutes competition with Trey Murphy, Saddiq Bey, Bennedict Mathurin (self) and other wing pieces.
Read full analysis on hoopswire.com ↗
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