Lakers Sign Matisse Thybulle to One-Year Deal

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to overhaul their roster this offseason, completely changing the look of this team.

And it goes beyond just being without LeBron James. This roster is going to feature numerous new rotation players next season.

While it’s yet to be seen whether this team will be better than last season’s iteration, there’s no question that outside of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the core one-two punch, the rest of the rotation is vastly different.

The latest move the Lakers have made in that effort to revamp the roster is signing Matisse Thybulle to a one-year, $3.3 million deal.

That gives Los Angeles another proven perimeter defender, which is much needed for this team. As much firepower as Dončić and Reaves provide, defending on the other end is equally important.

Thybulle is a two-time All-Defensive Second Team selection and one of the better defensive playmakers in the league. He has the size and length to be versatile on that end and guard multiple positions, and that’s a skill set the Lakers really need.

The big question with him, as it always has been, is the offensive end of the floor.

Traditionally speaking, Thybulle hasn’t been a great shooter. He’s also not much of a creator on that end and is more of a slasher and play finisher.

But with the defensive upside he brings, as long as he can be a threat on the perimeter and teams can’t leave him completely wide open, he should work within the offensive flow of the Lakers.

Los Angeles doesn’t need him to score at a high level. It just needs him to be playable on that end and do his work defensively.

Given the one-year deal worth only $3.3 million, this is a low-risk move for a player who could become a key piece of the Lakers’ playoff run.

At this point in the offseason, finding someone who can do what Thybulle does at that price point is great business.

It’s another solid move for the Lakers as July winds down.