The Philadelphia 76ers traded Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team deal.
The Philadelphia 76ers engaged with the Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets in a three-team trade that is sending lockdown defender Matisse Thybulle to Portland. Philly gets Jalen McDaniels in return according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Presumably, there is some draft compensation included in the deal as well, likely headed to Charlotte for helping facilitate the deal.
Effectively, though, in terms of player assets, this is a swap of Thybulle for McDaniels.
NBA trade grades for Sixers moving Matisse Thybulle
Thybulle has been a wholesome fan favorite in Philly for several years now, but on the floor was perpetually held back by his inability on the offensive end.
Thybulle is a solid all-around defender and remarkable on the perimeter, boasting a +4.7 defensive RAPTOR this season per FiveThirtyEight. Only one player that has played more than 330 minutes this season has a higher defensive rating.
Offensively, though, he’s a -1.9. Especially in crucial playoff scenarios where Thybulle’s defense is ever-so-ideal, he was a factor easy for opponents to neutralize completely on the offensive end.
For that reason, moving on from Thybulle often felt inevitable, but with how lauded his defense is, one would hope they could get more than Jaden McDaniels back. McDaniels is worse on defense and only slightly more threatening on offense. Furthermore, both players are free agents after this year.
Barring further draft compensation, this is an incredibly so-so trade for the Sixers.
GRADE: B-
NBA trade grades for Blazers getting defensive upgrade
As a team, the Portland Trail Blazers are in the doldrums of the league. They rank 26th in defensive rating (115.9) and give up 114.4 points per game, 12th-worst in the NBA.
As you might expect, they have very few standouts individually on defense. Jusuf Nurkic, a rim protector, is their only truly solid defender. Justise Winslow is the only wing that the Blazers currently have with a defensive RAPTOR above 1.0.
The makeup in Portland theoretically works a bit better for Thybulle. They don’t need as much democratic offense considering Damian Lillard does so much of the team’s scoring (30.9 points per game). Embiid, in Philly, was a high scorer as well, but the defense can collapse on the paint easier when a perimeter player like Thybulle isn’t a threat. In Portland, Lillard’s game can prevent that from happening as much.
Portland presumably gives up just inconsequential picks in this deal, which means they got a needed defensive upgrade for very little. It’s not flashy, but this moves the needle in the right direction, we think.
It also comes a day after the Blazers sent out Josh Hart for Cam Reddish.
GRADE: B+
A pretty boring trade.