Yves Missi went from promising rookie to a player whose place in New Orleans is suddenly in question. After a strong first season with the Pelicans, his role has diminished, and trade talks linking him to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin have started picking up steam. If the rumors are true and a deal goes through, Mathurin could give the Pelicans a much-needed offensive boost.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, there’s “an incomplete deal framework that could still make it to the finish line,” involving Missi heading to Indiana and Mathurin joining New Orleans. Nothing is finalized, but the fact that Missi’s name keeps coming up signals the Pelicans are seriously evaluating their options.
Missi’s rookie year showed why the Pelicans invested in him. He averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while starting the majority of games, showing energy, defensive versatility, and upside as a young big. But this season has been different.
The team drafted Derik Queen this offseason, and Missi’s minutes have dropped. He now averages just 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in under 19 minutes per game, largely coming off the bench. That kind of role reduction puts both his confidence and his value in question.
Mathurin could bring the offensive boost the Pelicans need
Mathurin offers the kind of skill set New Orleans is missing. He is putting up a career-high 17.8 points per game while shooting efficiently. He can create his own shot, something the Pelicans struggle with outside of Trey Murphy. Injuries have limited Mathurin to 24 games this season, but when healthy, he has shown he can take over stretches of a game.
Mathurin has the ability score in isolation, and he could easily be used to relieve pressure on younger players like Jeremiah Fears and Queen. He also played a meaningful role in Indiana’s Finals run last season, including scoring 23 points in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
From Indiana’s perspective, trading Mathurin makes sense. He is entering a contract year, and the Pacers already have roughly $177 million in guaranteed salaries. Missi would give them a young, defensive-minded center who can anchor the paint, which they need, especially since Jay Huff has struggled to do so.
Missi is still valuable, but in a team chasing stability and scoring, his future in New Orleans is less certain than it was a year ago. The next move the Pelicans make could reshape not just their rotation, but the trajectory of the team’s young core.