The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly signed Matisse Thybulle to a one-year, $3.3 million contract.
For the past weeks or so, the Los Angeles Lakers had been heavily linked to forward Matisse Thybulle. After days of waiting, it looks like the Lakers have gotten their man.
On July 20, it was reported by NBA insider Shams Charania that the Los Angeles Lakers have signed Matisse Thybulle to a one-year, $3.3 million contract.
It's worth noting that the Lakers now have 16 guaranteed salaries on their roster and will now have to start making trades before opening night to shorten the roster.
Why Matisse Thybulle is the Perfect Fit for LA
If there's one thing that the Los Angeles Lakers need, it's defense; if there's one thing that Matisse Thybulle brings, it's defense.
In both 2022 and 2021, Thybulle was on the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team and was also the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. It's worth noting that Thybulle's last defensive team was four years ago, but he's a very low-risk signing for the Lakers.
At only $3.3 million, Thybulle is a great low-risk signing for the Lakers who could potentially bring some defensive security to the team. Last season with the Portland Trail Blazers, Thybulle averaged 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals on 43/40/84 shooting from the field. On paper, he is a fantastic three-and-d player for the Lakers.
It's hard to say whether or not Thybulle will be a replacement for Rui Hachimura, because he's nowhere near as good offensively, but he could hopefully be a solid replacement defensively.
What is the Biggest Concern?
The biggest concern looking at Thybulle has been his availability. In the last two seasons combined, Thybulle only played in 45 regular-season games, with his minutes dropping all the way to only 16 minutes last season.
The Lakers took a similar gamble on Marcus Smart last season, another player who struggled to stay healthy on the court, but he had a fantastic tenure in LA. With Thybulle surrounded by a plethora of more offensive-minded players on the Lakers, it feels like he's going to have a greater responsibility on the defensive end in LA than he did in Portland.
© Troy Wayrynen-Imagn ImagesThroughout Thybulle's seven-year NBA career, he's never played a full 82 games before. In fact, he's only played in 377 out of 574 career total games - playing in only 65.6% of his NBA career.
Regardless, at only $3.3 million, Thybulle is a player that the Los Angeles Lakers should absolutely sign.
