The Los Angeles Lakers continue to make changes this off-season, and they stayed in the conference to grab a solid free agent. Per Shams Charania (ESPN), Matisse Thybulle has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million contract to join a Los Angeles team reeling from the defection of LeBron James.
Thybulle’s arrival fills a large hole on the Lakers’ roster in terms of his individual defensive abilities. With a lineup built on offensive power, headlined by stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, defense will be sorely needed.
The move for Walker Kessler certainly helps in that regard. Looking at the rest of the roster, it’s clear that a lot will fall on the young center’s shoulders. Adding Thybulle helps give Kessler defensive support on the perimeter and gives LA a point-of-attack defensive option.
In just 16 minutes per game for the Portland Trail Blazers, Thybulle averaged two steals per game. That was good enough for a three-way tie at the top of the steals-per-game list, joining Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels.
However, it’s worth noting that Thybulle logged only 30 appearances for Portland during the 2025-26 season, 25 of which came after All-Star Weekend.
The limited playing time is certainly cause for concern. Thybulle has played just 45 games since the start of the 2024-25 season. This marks the fourth consecutive season in which his minutes per game have dipped.
When Thybulle arrived in Portland midway through the 2022-23 season, he was expected to be a key rotation piece. Portland even gave Thybulle a three-year extension because of the stability he brought on the defensive end and the improved three-point shooting during his 22-game run with the team in 2022-23.
During that 22-game stretch, Thybulle started every game for the Blazers and made valuable defensive contributions, recording 38 steals. For context, he had 45 steals in 49 appearances with Philadelphia before being traded to Portland.
In short, he’s a problem when it comes to jumping passing lanes and taking away the ball, a skill set the Lakers have missed over the past few seasons.
While Thybulle’s arrival seemingly solves some of the Lakers’ defensive issues, at least on paper, other issues remain. The move to bring in Thybulle puts the Lakers over the limit for the maximum number of guaranteed contracts they can carry into the season. That means more changes are coming for the Purple and Gold.
Players like Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaden Hardy, Jake Laravia, and Bronny James Jr. lead the list of names that could be on the move to help the Lakers get under the 15-player threshold. Laravia and James Jr. have been floated as possible trade chips that would allow the Lakers to add wing depth or open a roster spot for another backup center. Lakers fans have been begging for both.
Training camp without LeBron James, who defected to the Philadelphia 76ers, will allow Coach Redick and GM Rob Pelinka a vital period of evaluation to see where the holes still are to take this Lakers squad firmly into contender status.
