Benedict Maturin reveals his two options at the trade deadline
Trade rumors have been swirling recently about the Indiana Pacersespecially in connection with the wing of Benedict Maturinwhich has so far been up and down in 2025-26. Maturin has stepped into a much bigger role following Tyrese Halliburton’s injury, and there are plenty of teams around the league, including the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans, who are reportedly interested in his services.
Mathurin himself spoke recently to his mentality as the trade deadline approaches.
“I could do it two ways,” Mathurin said, per Hoopshipe , via Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star . “I can be stressed and worried about it and everything. But I just feel that stress only comes when you’re not prepared for situations. For me, it’s pretty simple, just put my head down and keep working. If it happens, it happens. If not, I’m here to work.”
It’s certainly a good attitude to have amid the uncertainty of an NBA trade season that has so far been uneventful in 2026, but has been known to heat up in a hurry.
Maturin’s consistency has been an issue at times this year, but when he’s at his best, he fits the archetype of player most are looking for right now, able to switch easily on defense, knock down open shots and put the ball on the floor and create occasionally, allowing him to tap into the positionless basketball movement the league is currently entering.
Meanwhile, the Pacers have been bottom of the standings overall all year, but the prospect of adding a top draft pick to go along with Haliburton when he returns next year is certainly intriguing, and it’s possible the aforementioned player could fill the void left by Maturin if he is moved.
Either way, the NBA trade deadline is set for Thursday afternoon.
2026-02-03 17:22:00
