The Trail Blazers are in the process of finalizing a trade for Sixers defensive ace Matisse Thybulle, reports Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links), it’ll be a three-team deal that also includes the Hornets, with forward Jalen McDaniels headed to Philadelphia and Charlotte acquiring multiple second-round picks. Veteran wing Svi Mykhailiuk, whom the Blazers agreed to acquire in the Josh Hart trade with New York, will be flipped to the Hornets in this deal, Woj adds (Twitter links).
Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) provides the full breakdown of the agreement:
- Sixers to acquire McDaniels, the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick (from Charlotte), and the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Blazers to acquire Thybulle.
- Hornets to acquire the most favorable of the Hornets’, Hawks’, and Nets’ 2023 second-round picks (from Philadelphia), the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Blazers’ 2027 second-round picks (from Portland), and Mykhailiuk (from Portland).
In addition to adding a couple of second-round picks and a versatile forward in McDaniels, the Sixers will also dip under the luxury tax line with this move — they were previously $1.1MM over, but by swapping Thybulle ($4.38MM) for McDaniels ($1.93MM), they’ll now be about $1.35MM under.
McDaniels, 25, is having the most productive season of his four-year career. Through 56 games with Charlotte (21 starts, 26.7 MPG), he held averages of 10.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.2 SPG on .447/.332/.846 shooting. The former 52nd overall pick will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, but the Sixers will hold his Bird rights if they want to re-sign him.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported last month that the Blazers were targeting players athletic players with size and 3-and-D wings. While Thybulle isn’t a great shooter, he is a terrific athlete and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in two of his first three seasons, so he fulfills some of what they were looking for.
Like Cam Reddish, whom the Blazers acquired in the Josh Hart deal, Thybulle will be a restricted free agent in the summer if Portland extends him a qualifying offer. The defensive stalwart was the 20th overall pick back in 2019.
Evidently the Hornets decided they didn’t want to pay McDaniels in the offseason and instead chose to add a couple of second-round picks. While they did give up one (New York’s 2024 pick), they also received two in return, with their own pick almost certain to come back to them (the Sixers controlled it from a previous trade). That pick will land in the early 30s, so it has solid value.
Mykhaliuk was also sent to Portland in the Hart deal and will now be rerouted to Charlotte. He has hardly played this season, but the Hornets will get a cheap flyer on him if they want to keep him around — he was drafted by GM Mitch Kupchak back in 2016 when the two were with the Lakers.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Good trade for Portland
Nice that trade rumors got a picture of Thybulles only career field goal. Documented history.
No verifiable proof he made the dunk, though.
Hahaha. I actually laughed out loud on that one. Good stuff!
Chauncey & the Blazers trying to create more of a long, defensive presence around Dame & Ant… Justise Winslow, Cam Reddish, Jerami Grant, Shaedon Sharpe, Nassir Little & now Matisse Thybulle all very long, very active defenders… I’m thinking they eventually flip Nurk for a big in that mold
Plus Gary Payton at the guard spot is excellent on defense too. Yep quite a collection in the toughness mold.
With that backcourt scoring plus grant, blazers could be dangerous in the playoffs perhaps?
Any team with Dame is always dangerous in the playoffs. If they can flip Nurk & get a 5 that fits the type of team they’re building I can see them being a strong contender for the rest of Dames career. The postseason success they have this season wi depend a lot on how consistently great Ant Simons can be in his 1st starring role.
They have soo many guys at the 4 and the 2 and several of them are extremely similar. They need wing shooting besides Sharpe, so hopefully Reddish can give them that, but I think they need another shooter there…
This might make Payton expendable as well, but not sure if that’s who you move, of all the options with the 3 guys you mentioned, plus Watford, plus Walker all at the 4, and a couple of those same guys, and Keon Johnson as options at the 2
The fact that they have a bunch of guys capable of playing the wing (not sure why you exclude the 3 position) is a plus, especially the fact that they are all very good defenders. They got 2 of the best shooters in the league in Dame & Ant & those guys will be taking most of the 3s. Cam, GPII, Jerami & Shaedon are all capable shooters as well but obv Portland is stressing defense as their main identity, along w/ having Dame ofc.
Thybulle is a good defender but takes to many risks in doing so. Wish him well
Portland loves throwing money & draft picks out the window. Their FO needs to have their temperature checked.
Thybulle is a soon-to-be future NBA washout, and will not be in Portland next season. I’d almost guarantee it.
Glad Philly got Mcdaniels, and someone made out in this deal. Hornets got chump change for Mcdaniels.
SVI is meaningless, and probably cost Portland the 2nd to unload
Portland is clearly trying to build an identity so I think there’s a good shot he’s retained or they at least try to retain him. I don’t think they would make this trade if they didn’t value the player. That would make no sense.
Both players are not guaranteed this off-season I believe. Portland gets to try them out with little risk. Add a Nurkic trade, and Portland could create cap space. Also they are intent on resigning Grant, so I expect trades, and signing Grant, as opposed to clearing cap for FA’s. The cap clearing is to not get into luxury taxes with the Grant deal, and flexibility with the exceptions and what not.
Thybulle & Reddish have both floundered, been benched, given opportunity, and then benched again. I don’t think Portland is banking on them very much at all.
I really can’t say for sure though with the Portland FO. They are a fickle, strangely lucky, and absurdly cursed group of people for decades now.
I hope the change of scenery helps Thybulle but offensively he is useless. McDaniels is solid and can help the 2nd unit
Does it matter when Harden, Harris, and Embiid are around him though?
Unfinished business…Furkan Korkmaz for Ben Simmons. Who hangs up first??? ; )
Damn Charlotte. That’s it for McDaniels? They couldn’t even get back Little from Portland or Paul Reed & Korkmaz from the Sixers?? Smh
Must agree that is very little back for McDaniels who is also cheap in money going to 76ers. Should get a 1st rounder not some 2nd rounders.
They spent 1 2nd rd pick to draft him. Getting 2 or 3 2nd rd picks for him is pretty great return on investment.
Now they have to hit on two 2nd rounders to make it worth it, though.
They got the 2 2nds, but that also wasnt there yet when we said what we all said
McDaniels is on an expiring contract so they get a couple second rounders out of it. They’re not going anywhere so why not?
I thought Charlotte could have done better than this for McDaniels, but since he’s a FA at years end, I guess they decided PJ will be their FT 4, and the 4 2nds will be better for then going forward.
Trade that makes sense for both teams. Portland probably wants to extend him or else doesn’t make a ton of sense. He’s not good on offense but could fit what Portland needs. McDaniel definitely helps sixers depth and size of bench.
Philly getting another guy at the 4/3, and depleting their wings…the guys they’ve given up at times the last couple of years/them staying with Doc Rivers has been interesting to watch. Liked guys they had going into training camp, but they got rid of a couple of guys I thought they should have kept, and now Thybulle, who is an elite defender
Portland now has some really potentially interesting lineups they can go to with multiple extremely good defenders, and a bunch of versatile options they already had at the 4/2, but I do think they need to move a couple of those guys at the 4/2, and need wing shooting badly
Not sure why Charlotte would move McDaniels, when the 4 was a spot where they’ve really missed Bridges, and their depth there was something that could give them a better outlook moving forward if that was resolved….either way, just confusing to move off a player like that for a roster like that, but maybe there will be more info
Very good move for the Sixers. Fills a glaring need.
Yes and if mcdaniels can improve his 3pt shot u could have a D and 3 player who could allow u to move Harris down the road
Would have to be a draft day trade, I think someone said that 29 1st is tied up bc of pick swaps?
why would the 76ers trade Thybulle, this makes zero sense, his defense was crucial
It’s avoid paying the luxury tax.
I really doubt that because Thybulle’s salery this year is around 3 million and half of that has already been paid.
I’m not familiar with it. It looks like circumvent according to Spotrac.
Thybulle is a great defensive player, the 76ers are like 20-0 when he plays 20+ min in a game. Doc just didn’t want to stick with him to give him more time to try to develop offensively. If only we could trade Doc for something- ANYTHING- that would be refreshing Thybulle made 4.3M, McDaniels 1.8
He’s worse then I never met a shot I liked Ben Simmons, that’s why.
Thybulle has next to no offensive game , and he gambles a lot on D. He wasn’t playing as much because he’s out of position at times gambling on D.
What really bugs me is the lack of coaching ability in Philly to make young players better shooters
Thybulle was sitting on the bench in Philly. McDaniels is a Small Forward likely to benefit from a change of scenery. Besides Charlotte can’t have McDaniels ruining their pursuit of Victor Webanyama. Philly gains the most here. Meanwhile Portland is attempting to remake the Blazers as a tough defensive team. Svi Mykhailiuk is the after thought in another deal. He is probably nearing the end of his time in the NBA
Look at how Andre Roberson turned out. That is Thybulle. He signed for 3/29 and was great defensively but anemic on offense, which is the same path they were headed with Thybulle. Around 10m per to retain him.
Portland just replaced Josh Hart with a better defender. Yeah, Hart has a bit more offensive upside, but realistically, how much is he going to score on a contending team? Their shooting splits aren’t that different. Hart offers better rebounding, but little else. And giving up nothing but Svi and a 2nd or two for him? That’s fine. They essentially get Thybulle, Reddish, and a 1st for Josh Hart.
I am not looking at Reddish as acquiring an asset, or Thybulle. Both can be ignored, or left alone in the off-season if Portland chooses.
In my opinion this move was about flexibility going into the offseason FA market, and draft.
Portland could free up a substantial amount of cap by trading Nurkic, and letting Thybulle, and Reddish hit free agency.
I’m thinking we have all seen what we need to know about Thybulle & Reddish already, and they are unplayable at the NBA level.
There’s absolutely a role for an All NBA defender in the league. Cam is more a wait and see, but Portland will keep Thybulle beyond this year most likely.
I’m stunned people don’t think Thybulle is not an NBA player. You don’t win Second Team All Defense twice by accident. And again, his shooting splits aren’t much different from Hart. I’d say Thybulle is an equivalent player, tbh.
Love your optimism. I truly hope he is better than Keon Johnson, but I don’t think he ultimately will be at the start of next season.
Thybulle seems redundant with what Portland has, and his contract wasn’t much of a value store, or preservation of cap wealth. Things that usually align when you want to keep a player, and have to sign a rostered player to a large contract in the offseason.
Thybulle is a great defensive player, the 76ers are like 20-0 when he plays 20+ min in a game. Doc just didn’t want to stick with him to give him more time to try to develop offensively. If only we could trade Doc for something- ANYTHING- that would be refreshing
That’s a misleading stat because he plays more when they are waxing another team. If you watch the games, you notice that the other team barely covers him on offense. You can’t play 4 on 5 in the playoffs as we saw with ben Simmons no matter if he’s a good defender or not.
I definitely think its possible, but with Payton, Sharpe, and Keon Johnson, this seems more like a try-out than a strategy. Beyond an exercise in cap space management!
Cronin is retooling is future rebuilding …
I think this deal made that decision for them, they’ll keep PJ
Not sure if Charlotte is going to keep PJ Washington at this point…
The Sixers biggest problem is rebounding and this trade will help. Also, they decided not to extend Thybulle, got under the tax and got a pick.
A Furkan + 2nd for Drummond solves that problem and keeps them under the tax.
I would say the sixers biggest problem is transition D and has been for a few years, losing Thybulle won’t help there….but yeah, rebounding is right behind it for sure.
As a 76ers fan, I hate to see Matisse go. He is a special defensive player, who can be used in a different capacity offensively with Portland(especially with Nurkic hurt), and play in the dunkers spot, and the corner/wing 3, which he is not a good % shooter, but will bury a few and maybe even get streaky for a few in a game. Doc nailed him to the bench this season, despite being 20-0 when he played 20+min in a game.
That being said, I do like McDaniels. He’s a hustler, and can grab some rebounds, Score a few points, and play some defense. I’m sure the main motivation for the deal was the team getting under the luxury cap, which is a good thing long term, but I thought a Korkmaz/(& Harrell or a 2nd) for Drummond swap would have done that.
I think Portland is the team who makes out best here. The 76ers will also be better if Doc lets McDaniels play at all, and Charlotte, well, if they like 2nd rounders, they are happy as well.