As the Sixers begin their offseason journey to grow into a true championship contender, each player will be evaluated for the production they bring to the team. One guy who may be quick to catch an eye is Matisse Thybulle. He is an incredibly unique player for his elite but limited skillset. Despite his off-the-chart defensive ability, Thybulle has failed to progress in his three years in the NBA and is unable to shoulder more minutes due to his offensive deficiencies.
There is still plenty of appeal around the NBA surrounding Matisse Thybulle. The three-year veteran is a two-time All-NBA Second-Team defender and Morey’s unwillingness to trade him to the Nets held back the James Harden deal. However, the Sixers face a difficult decision with Thybulle heading into the final year of his rookie contract. With the Sixers in need of more two-way production and with Thybulle still holding value around the league, it makes sense to search for a trade.
3 Trades Sixers Should Explore Involving Matisse Thybulle:
Sixers Get: Alex Caruso, Coby White
Bulls Get: Matisse Thybulle, Danny Green
The Bulls reportedly have interest in Matisse Thybulle dating back to GM Marc Eversley being a part of the front office that drafted Thybulle. Now as the GM of the Bulls, Eversley could have a chance to add the talented defender once again. Thybulle undoubtedly has the highest ceiling of any player in this trade although the optimism that he can reach is certainly shrinking.
The Sixers would add a solid backup point guard option in Coby White and an upgraded rotational wing piece in Alex Caruso. The two-way impact of Caruso would help the Sixers out tremendously. He is a perfect role player for a contender and does his job at an elite level. The trade is essentially a flipping of role players but finding more balanced players is exactly what the team should be targeting.
Sixers Get: Monte Morris, Will Barton
Nuggets Get: Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, Danny Green, 2023 2nd round pick
The Nuggets were recently rumored to be open to trading Will Barton and Monte Morris and the Sixers should absolutely be interested if this is the case. Denver is starved for defensive talent and Matisse Thybulle would be a massive upgrade in this area. He also would perform better in the cut-friendly and free-flowing offense of the Nuggets. Furkan Korkmaz would fit just fine and seems in need of a change of scenery. Danny Green could also be a nice veteran presence as the Nuggets get healthy next season and elevate into the contender category.
Will Barton and Monte Morris are both excellent role players who would flourish on the Sixers. Each possesses a two-way ability the current roster is starved for. Barton is coming off an impressive season last year in which he averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He is a capable ball-handler and also a career 35.4% three-point shooter. Monte Morris is also an exciting player coming off a career-best season. The 26-year-old averaged 12.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds. Each player would have an argument for the best rotational piece the Sixers have had in years and getting both would be a massive success.
Sixers Get: Reggie Bullock, Davis Bertans, Maxi Kleber
Mavericks Get: Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle
Matisse Thybulle is not the only player on the trade market as Tobias Harris is likely even more important to trade. With the Mavericks in need of frontcourt scoring and defensive impact, pairing Harris and Thybulle would make a ton of sense. Harris showed great growth as a catch-and-shooter alongside James Harden this season. Luka Doncic is one of the few players with the same caliber of passing ability as James Harden. There also is much more room to utilize his post creation within the Mavericks offense. Matisse Thybulle would provide a notable jolt of defensive intensity on the Mavericks roster.
Reggie Bullock would be a terrific addition to the Sixers’ starting unit. His hard-nosed defense and willing three-point shooting make him the exact type of player the Sixers should be targeting alongside James Harden and Joel Embiid. Davis Bertans and Maxi Kleber also would be terrific compliments as stretch forwards. The Sixers have failed to properly fill this role since the days of Ersan Ilyasova and would make a massive impact on the team’s spacing.
As the Sixers look to maximize their offseason, expect Matisse Thybulle to play a major role. The lack of offensive growth has limited his ability to stay on the floor and hurt his value in a major way. The Sixers will have a difficult decision to make regarding his contract at the end of the season and it may be best to flip him now. If Thybulle signs an extension this offseason it also makes him ineligible to be traded before the deadline. He is one of the few replaceable players that still holds value around the league. Expect Daryl Morey to use him as a key piece in the trade market if the opportunity presents itself.
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
