One of the Portland Trail Blazers' best free agency options was Rui Hachimura, who has decided to stay in Los Angeles, joining the rival Clippers on a two-year, $28 million deal.
Portland could have offered slightly more money had they used their Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, but it's hard to fault GM Joe Cronin for this miss, as there was essentially nothing more they could've done. Hachimura valued staying in Los Angeles, and, as ESPN's Shams Charania noted, there was mutual interest early in free agency for the two parties to find a way to work together.
Another one bites the dust for Portland, who continues to run out of intriguing free agency options to address their lack of forward depth. Now, it's even more of a reason to bring back two-way wing Matisse Thybulle, who remains an unrestricted free agent.
A Matisse Thybulle return just got more necessary for Portland
There are a few other Blazers homecomings that this front office could pursue, whether it's adding more veteran experience in Nicolas Batum or more versatility with Trendon Watford. The Philadelphia 76ers declined to pick up Watford's option for next season and even hinted at a potential reunion with Portland on X.
Blazers connection aside, another potential free agent target to pursue is Bruce Brown Jr., who has veteran experience like Batum and somewhat similar Swiss-Army-Knife capabilities to Watford. But considering Portland still has two roster spots left to fill on its 15-man roster, bringing back Thybulle makes sense regardless of who else they decide to pursue now that Hachimura is officially off the table.
That wasn't as clear heading into the offseason, particularly given the concerns surrounding Thybulle's injury history, having totaled 45 games played over the last two seasons. But now, the Blazers no longer have the luxury of finding a more reliable fit, after essentially sitting out the first wave of free agency with their only signing being Branden Carlson.
The Ja Morant deal also changed the equation in favor of a Thybulle return. The Blazers didn't give up meaningful assets, sending Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis. Still, they did lose two forwards, sacrificing their defensive identity and further compounding their shooting woes by bringing Morant into the mix.
Thybulle is one of the best remaining two-way wings on the market, and has even quietly developed into a better floor-spacing option than often given credit for. The injury concerns are real. But at this point in the Blazers' offseason, there aren't many better options to check every box.
When you look at Thybulle through the lens of an end-of-bench option, those injury concerns aren't as significant. For Portland, the riskier move is to continue doing nothing, entering the 2026-27 season with several holes in this unbalanced roster.
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