The Los Angeles Lakers have reached agreement with wing Matisse Thybulle on a one-year contract valued at $3.3 million, the team confirmed.
Thybulle, 29, arrives after four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. He began his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected him in the first round of the 2019 draft.
Regarded as one of the league’s premier perimeter stoppers, the 6-foot-5 guard/forward owns career averages of 1.6 steals per game and has twice been voted to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. His disruptive style was evident long before the pros: as a senior at the University of Washington, he captured the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honor and surpassed Pac-12 single-season and career steals records previously held by Jason Kidd and Gary Payton.
Offensively, Thybulle has improved his outside shooting, converting 41.8 percent of his three-point attempts over the past two campaigns while taking more than three shots from deep per night. Injuries, however, limited him to 45 total appearances during those two seasons. He finished last year healthy and had played at least 65 games in each of his first five NBA seasons.
The Lakers view the Australian-born defender as a point-of-attack complement to stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Head coach Darvin Ham now has additional wing depth alongside Ziaire Williams, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, rookie Cameron Carr and second-year player Adou Thiero. Thybulle will wear No. 26 in Los Angeles.
With Thybulle’s deal, the Lakers hold 16 guaranteed contracts and must trade or waive a player before opening night. The front office is also evaluating options to bolster a frontcourt that currently features Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney.
Source: Lakers Nation
