The Dallas Mavericks’ ability to acquire Grant Williams in a sign-and-trade with the Boston Celtics left open the non-taxpayer midlevel exception to add yet another player to the mix in NBA free agency.
General manager Nico Harrison and Co. certainly hope that it will come in the form of two-time All-NBA Defensive Team performer Matisse Thybulle.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Dallas plans on signing the 6-foot-5 wing and restricted free agent to a three-year, $33 million contract. The Portland Trail Blazers have an ability to match said offer. But that seems highly unlikely after Damian Lillard requested a trade and with Portland’s roster heavy at the wing position right now.
If Dallas is able to land the former first-round pick from Washington, it will be a major boon for Jason Kidd’s squad.
Acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers at the in-season NBA trade deadline, Thybulle is known as one of the better perimeter defenders in the game. Over the course of his first three NBA seasons, Thybulle posted a combined defensive win shares of 7.3. To put this into perspective, Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks in defensive win shares with 2.9 this past season. It’s obviously a need.
One of the reasons Thybulle fell out of favor in Philadelphia before heading to Portland was his inability to do anything of substance on offense. He averaged just 2.7 points in 49 games with Philadelphia. That changed once Thybulle was in the Pacific Northwest.
- Matisse Thybulle stats (w/ Blazers): 7.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 39% 3-point
In particular, the 26-year-old Arizona native improved leaps and bounds from shooting beyond the arc. If the Mavericks are able to add Thybulle to the mix, the hope is that he becomes a more consistent three-and-D wing.
Teaming him up with the newly acquired Grant Williams could also create a solid one-two punch out on the wing behind the star-studded backcourt tandem of Doncic and Kyrie Irving.