The Trail Blazers are matching restricted free agent Matisse Thybulle’s three-year, $33 million offer sheet from the Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal has an $11.5 player option in the third year.
The move guarantees some stability in the backcourt amid an impending trade surrounding star point guard Damian Lillard. Thybulle was traded in the middle of the 2023 season from the 76ers as a defensive specialist, having been named to the All-Defensive second-team in both 2021 and 2022.
In his 22 starts for the Trail Blazers last season, he averaged 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 44% shooting from the field. The shooting guard was drafted No. 20 overall in the 2019 NBA draft and has averaged 4.4 points per game over his three-year NBA career.
Portland finished the 2022–23 season with a 33–49 record under first-year coach Chauncey Billups and is in full rebuild mode as they continue to search for both young players and draft selections for Lillard, according to ESPN.
