The Philadelphia 76ers and swingman Matisse Thybulle have failed to come to a rookie scale contract extension.
The soon to be 4th-year player will finish out his rookie deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and become a restricted free agent once the season ends. Thybulle is projected to be primarily a bench piece due to the Sixers’ addition of P.J. Tucker in the offseason. The Sixers and Matisse Thybulle did engage in contract talks at some point today, but they did not come to an agreement.
Matisse Thybulle – The Player
Matisse Thybulle has been one of the most polarizing players on the Philadelphia 76ers as of late. The former Washington Husky has continued to work wonders on defense while still being a liability on offense most nights.
Thybulle scored 5.7 points per game and shot only 31.3% from deep last year, and while the addition of James Harden seemed to bring about a serge on offense for him, shooting 37.1% from deep in a very small sample size, one could understand why the Sixers didn’t want to tie themselves down long-term to a player who may not fit the team anymore.
His defense, on the other hand, has been nothing short of elite since coming into the NBA. Thybulle set a career-high in steals per game at 1.7 and tied his career-high with 1.1 blocks per game. His defense was evident every game, often matching up with the other team’s best player. He even had a highlight game while guarding future Finals MVP Steph Curry. Thybulle was incredible on defense, but that alone is not enough for a long-term commitment right now.
What’s Next for Matisse?
Thybulle will now play out his rookie contract with the Philadelphia 76ers this season. Upon conclusion of the season, Matisse Thybulle will enter restricted free agent. Once in restricted free agency, the defensive mastermind will have the opportunity to receive contract offers from other teams. If he accepts another offer, the Sixers will have a few days to either match the offer or let him walk.
If Thybulle begins to prove himself on offense, the Sixers will have the option to retain him this offseason for whatever he is worth. If the Thybulle looks out of place in the Sixers’ rotation this year, Philadelphia can part ways with him either at the trade deadline or in the offseason. For Thybulle to prove himself, though, it will take either a monstrous defensive performance this season or an improved offensive presence.
