The Portland Trail Blazers have one final spot left to fill on their 15-man roster and should consider bringing back Matisse Thybulle to add more defense and forward depth. If they do want to take that route, Portland needs to act with more urgency, as it appears they suddenly face competition from their West rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Here's what NBA insider Marc Stein tweeted on Thursday:
"The Lakers have again broadened their search for perimeter defense, league sources say, registering interest this week in free agent Matisse Thybulle. They have already added Ziaire Williams while also continuing to pursue Jonathan Kuminga."
Blazers can't let the Lakers steal Matisse Thybulle
Perhaps this is a leverage play for the Lakers to land Jonathan Kuminga, but the Blazers can't afford to take that risk. Their free agency options continue to dwindle and Thybulle is one of the best remaining (realistic) options.
While he was previously viewed as expendable, Portland's roster desperately needs someone like Thybulle after packaging Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the Ja Morant deal.
The injury concerns are real. Thybulle has played a total of just 45 games the past two seasons, suffering one unfortunate injury after another. But we just saw Portland mitigate its injury risk with their Robert Williams III extension, reaching a three year deal in which only the first season is fully guaranteed.
The Blazers could make a short-term deal with Thybulle, using him as a stopgap to buy them more time to sort out this unbalanced roster. If they do make it a multi-year deal, they should use Williams' unique contract as a blueprint on someone who has arguably even more injury risk.
It's still worthwile pursuit for Portland considering this would be the final spot on its roster. Their forward depth is extremely thin outside of Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija, placing a lot of pressure on Sidy Cissoko to take a huge leap for a team with playoff aspirations. Thybulle is more of a veteran presence who also gives them a more reliable 3-and-D option, improving his shot throughout his career.
While it's not a perfect fit, the free agency options are getting slim. The last thing Portland should want is to lose Thybulle to the Lakers, and they need to act fast to fill their final spot.
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