The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to hammer the league’s phone lines ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline. One very popular name in the rumor mill of late is Matisse Thybulle, the Sixers’ 25-year-old defensive specialist.
With Thybulle’s minutes dwindling and clear concerns about his utility in the playoffs, it would not be surprising for the Sixers to seek out other options. This is also the last year of Thybulle’s rookie contract, meaning he will enter restricted free agency in the summer. Does Philly want to pay him?
Two teams have been definitively connected to Thybulle in the trade market: Sacramento and Golden State. That said, one would expect that other teams are interested in the two-time All-Defensive team member.
Here’s what a Thybulle trade could look like.
76ers trade Matisse Thybulle to Kings
Despite noticeable improvement, Thybulle remains heavily limited on the offensive end. With the Kings firmly in the postseason picture, that has to be taken into account. While he has a clearer path to extended minutes in Sacramento than in Philadelphia, do no expect Thybulle to fetch a massive haul in the last year of his rookie contract.
The idea has been floated that Philadelphia could look to upgrade the Georges Niang spot — or at least replace him with a comparably talented player who is better suited to the postseason. Enter Trey Lyles. At 6-foot-9, Lyles can space the floor (36.6 percent on 3.1 attempts per game from deep) and he’s a more solid defender than Niang.
A lot of fingers will point at Malik Monk as the player Philly should be trying to pry away from Sacramento, but given Monk’s struggles with efficiency and defense this season, I’m not sure he’s even an upgrade over Shake Milton. Terence Davis and Chimezie Metu are also names to watch.
For Sacramento, Thybulle is an immediate defensive upgrade. The Kings tend to have plenty of shooting on the floor, so the hope would be that Thybulle’s relatively low 3-point volume can be overcome.
76ers trade Matisse Thybulle to Warriors
The Sixers bring home Villanova legend and local hero Donte DiVincenzo. The Warriors guard has been through some difficult years injury-wise, but he has emerged as an important part of the second unit for Golden State. His salary matches almost perfectly with Thybulle’s salary, and he has an extra year on his deal before hitting free agency.
Golden State’s struggles this season have frequently been tied to the defensive end. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole making the nets sing from 3-point range, one could scarcely find a team better suited to covering up Thybulle’s offensive limitations. Thybulle’s best attribute offensively is his cutting, and no team cuts more prolifically and effectively than the Warriors.
In DiVincenzo, the Sixers are getting a battle-tested defender who is also shooting 39.2 percent from deep. No that long ago, DiVincenzo was one of the most coveted young role players in the NBA. He would be a much easier fit offensively with the Sixers’ current roster, and the “too many guards” concern doesn’t really land: Shake Milton is 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan, and DiVincenzo has enough size to guard up a position in most matchups. It shouldn’t be hard to find minutes for DiVincenzo, even with the bevy of guard talent on the roster.
The Sixers get a second-round pick for good measure. Reports suggest Thybulle is no longer worth a first-round pick in the eyes of opposing executives. While it’s not common for 25-year-olds to make the All-Defensive team twice, Thybulle is a unique case: he can scarcely be trusted in the playoffs and he’s currently playing just under 13 minutes per game, despite his surface-level impressive résumé.
76ers trade Matisse Thybulle to Bulls
A man can dream. The Sixers probably won’t swing a trade this impactful, but Alex Caruso has been floating around the rumor mill all season. A true culture-setter and one of the best defensive guards in the NBA, Caruso would drastically reshape and improve the Sixers’ second unit.
Caruso is hitting 40.0 percent of his 3s this season and he is master of the little things. He screens, cuts, processes the game quickly, and plays an eternally unselfish style of basketball. He works tirelessly to elevate teammates and to destroy opposing offenses.
Philly also swings Andre Drummond into the trade, a player quite popular among the fanbase. I will outright say that Paul Reed is probably better than Drummond in the playoffs, but the Sixers still refuse to show Reed the light of day and, with Caruso in the mix, you have to give something to get something. Drummond is a major upgrade over Montrezl Harrell and Doc Rivers would actually play him.
For Chicago, I’m not too keen to trade Caruso. That said, the Bulls are currently four games below .500 and 11th in the East. They’re approaching an inflection point, and any aspirations of contending this season have been wiped off the board. Thybulle is three years younger than Caruso and carries his own weight defensively. Reed injects youth into the frontcourt (and, maybe I’m just kidding myself, but he’s probably a straight-up improvement over Drummond), and Chicago gets three second-round picks for their trouble. And Danuel House Jr., who is theoretically a playable 3-and-D wing.
This is the type of swing Daryl Morey should make, even if he ultimately whiffs. Caruso is bound to be hotly pursued if he is indeed made available, and the Sixers might not have the assets to keep up. But, they should at least make their best effort.
3 examples of potential 76ers blockbuster trades
The Philadelphia 76ers could be in the market for a big trade if the right opportunity presents itself. What would a Sixers blockbuster look like?