Bennedict Mathurin is the Indiana Pacers’ leading scorer off a deep bench, averaging 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in the regular season.
Former Pacers player Jeff Teague believes that output warrants a larger role, and a larger paycheck.
“Bennedict Mathurin, in real life, is a star,” the former Pacers guard said on his Club 520 podcast. “The Pacers, for some reason, hold him back.”
“He might be a little erratic. He may do some off-the-wall stuff,” Teague added, not providing specifics.
Mathurin is more of a one-on-one player than the rest of the Pacers, who make the most passes per game among all remaining teams in the NBA playoffs.
Teague believes Mathurin’s aggressiveness with the ball helps Indiana: “The way he gets downhill. … He was getting to the basket. He was getting fouled.”
Teague wonders if NBA economics has kept Mathurin on the bench.
“I kind of think they’re holding him back because they’re going to have to pay him (if he played and scored more),” Teague said.
Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft who is on his rookie contract, counts $7.24 million toward this season’s salary cap, according to Spotrac. The team picked up his fourth-year option in 2025-26, scheduled to count $9.18 million.
He would be a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.
Teague has no problem with Aaron Nesmith, who starts ahead of Mathurin and scored 23 points in Indiana’s wild Game 2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In six playoff appearances, Mathurin has averaged 11.8 points, including 21-of-24 free throw shooting, and 3.0 rebounds.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Are the Pacers holding back their next star? Why Jeff Teague thinks so
Reporting by Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
