The signing of Matisse Thybulle added some wing depth and a perimeter defender to the Lakers’ roster.
But one reason he was on the market is that he’s had trouble staying on the floor. Over the past two seasons, Thybulle has played just 45 games.
He missed the beginning of the 2024-25 season after he underwent knee surgery. That, combined with a severe ankle sprain, forced Thybulle to miss the majority of the year. Then this past season, a torn UCL in his left thumb and right knee tendinopathy led
to him to missing 52 games.
However, a recent piece by Dan Woike in The Athletic gave a positive update on Thybulle’s health.
Thybulle, 29, averaged 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 30 games last season, making 39.8 percent of his 3-point shots. He finished last season healthy and will give the Lakers a high-end on-ball defender who can also make spot-up shots — a must on any Luka Dončić roster.
The source said Thybulle is currently fully healthy
Despite the injury concerns, Thybulle finished strong with the Blazers. After returning in February, he played in the last 25 games. In the playoffs, Thybulle was available for every game of the Blazers’ series against the Spurs, playing in four of the five matchups.
With a healthy finish to the year and this recent update, hopefully, Thybulle’s injuries are behind him, and he can continue to grow and develop as a player.
Besides his defensive ability, Thybulle has shown that he can knock down open shots. Last year, he converted on 39.8% of his 3-pointers and the year before that he made 43.8% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Thybulle could easily outperform his contract if he can be a defensive presence and make enough of his shots that teams have to respect his jumper.
For all of that to occur, though, he needs to be on the floor. Fortunately, it appears he’ll start the year off with that being the case.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
