Matisse Thybulle Agrees to 1-Year Deal with Lakers, Leaving Trail Blazers
Free agent forward Matisse Thybulle has signed a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN. The deal, reported by Shams Charania, marks the end of Thybulle’s three-and-a-half-year tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers, who offered him non-guaranteed contracts during free agency, sources said.
Thybulle, a two-time All-Defensive team member, will join the Lakers as their 16th guaranteed roster member ahead of the 2026-27 season. The agreement comes as the team continues to navigate roster decisions, including ongoing discussions with unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, which have not yet yielded a deal, sources confirmed.
The Blazers and Thybulle discussed a reunion, but the team only offered non-guaranteed contracts, according to the report, so he opted to join the Lakers instead, Joe Freeman of OregonLive.com
Thybulle’s Career with the Trail Blazers
Thybulle joined the Trail Blazers in February 2023 via a multi-team trade, averaging 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 steals in 22 games during the 2022-23 season. He played 65 games in his first full season with Portland in 2023-24 but was hampered by injuries in subsequent years, appearing in just 15 games during the 2024-25 season and 30 games last season due to knee, ankle, and thumb ailments.
Despite his injury struggles, Thybulle contributed to the Blazers’ playoff push in 2025, averaging 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and shooting 38% from three-point range over the final 14 games of the regular season. The team finished with a 10-4 record in that stretch to secure the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
When Thybulle played, he brought disruptive defense and solid three-point shooting, and he quietly emerged as a key part of the Blazers’ closing surge last season,
OregonLive.com reported.
Lakers’ Roster Implications and Defensive Needs
The Lakers’ signing of Thybulle, who led the NBA in steals and deflections per 36 minutes last season among players with at least 20 games, aims to bolster their wing defense. Over the past two seasons, he shot 41.8% from three-point range while averaging 6.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.8 steals with the Blazers.
However, the move carries risks. Thybulle averaged 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game during the Trail Blazers’ first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs in 2025, shooting 2-of-14 from the field. The Lakers, who are in transition following LeBron James’ departure, may rely on Thybulle to provide depth while managing a roster at the guaranteed salary limit.
The team will be at the roster limit, so any further additions will require a trade or the release of somebody under contract.
Thybulle’s Path to the Lakers
Thybulle considered returning to the Blazers but believed the team did not make serious efforts to retain him, according to sources. The Lakers and Trail Blazers also explored a sign-and-trade scenario that could have increased Thybulle’s salary, but the sides could not reach an agreement.
There’s a reason the 29-year-old remained unsigned to this point, though, and ultimately settled for the veteran's minimum.
Sources: ESPN.
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