The Los Angeles Lakers have once again bolstered their wing position. Defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle is joining the team from the Portland Trail Blazers.
As reported by Shams Charania (ESPN), Matisse Thybulle has signed a contract for the upcoming season worth $3.3 million. The Australian most recently played for the Portland Trail Blazers, where he spent a total of four years.
The 29-year-old’s strengths lie on defense, and he has already been selected twice—in 2021 and 2022—to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team, back when he was still with the Philadelphia 76ers. His biggest weakness, however, has always been his offense, though his three-point shooting improved significantly while with the Blazers. Averaging just 1.7 attempts per game, Thybulle shot at least 37.4 percent.
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However, the swingman played in only 132 games for the Blazers over four years, with just 45 appearances in the past two seasons. The Australian had to undergo surgery twice—once for a knee injury and once for thumb surgery. On top of that, he suffered repeated minor injuries that caused him to miss time.
Thybulle is now the eighth new addition to the Lakers, who are looking to completely rebuild their team around Luka Doncic. There are currently 16 players on the roster, which means at least one must leave the team before the season starts. In addition, the Lakers are reportedly still interested in forward Jonathan Kuminga.