NBA trade proposal sends Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin to Pelicans, involves Pistons

Here’s a quick-hit mock trade breakdown, deadline-season style. No promises. Just vibes.

A three-team proposal floating the idea of roster balance over loyalty, via NBA writer Jake Weinbach:

Pelicans receive

• Bennedict Mathurin
• 2027 second-round pick (via Milwaukee from Detroit)

Pacers receive

• Yves Missi
• 2028 second-round pick (via New York from Detroit)

Pistons receive

• Saddiq Bey

Indiana gets its wish in this framework: A path to a young starting-caliber center, using Mathurin as the headliner. That tracks with recent chatter about the Pacers shopping Mathurin in pursuit of frontcourt help.

New Orleans takes a swing on upside scoring with Mathurin, adding a controllable young guard who fits a longer-term timeline. The extra second-rounder sweetens the math.

Detroit lands a familiar name in Bey, adding wing depth and some scoring punch without taking on long-term risk. Not flashy. But functional.

Again, this is hypothetical. A deadline thought experiment. The kind of deal that probably gets debated in front offices, shot down, reshaped, or used as leverage in a bigger conversation.

Mock trades are easy. Real ones are not.

But this one? Not crazy. Not impossible. And very on-brand for February.