The Los Angeles Lakers recently made another addition to their roster, agreeing to sign veteran defensive wing Matisse Thybulle to a one-year contract.
The Lakers have made a lot of changes this offseason, and one thing that is for sure is superstar Luka Doncic is on board with it as he has been very involved with the front office and recruiting players to come be his teammate in L.A. In fact, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, Thybulle spoke with both Doncic and head coach JJ Redick before agreeing to sign with the Lakers:
Thybulle, a two-time All-Defensive team member, spoke with JJ Redick and Luka Doncic about the Lakers’ desire to sign him and his role during free agency and chose the opportunity in an effort to beef up the team’s wing defense.
With LeBron James departing this offseason, one thing that has become very clear is that the Lakers are trying to build a roster around Doncic that fits Redick’s vision. Thybulle is the perfect addition for that as he is an exceptional wing and point-of-attack defender who is still just 29 years of age and has worked hard to improve his 3-point shot in recent years.
The biggest issue for Thybulle has been health as he has only played 45 games in the last two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, although he did finish last season healthy. Given the depth the Lakers have added to their roster this offseason, it should allow them to rest guys to keep them healthy through a long 82-game season.
In addition to Thybulle, the Lakers have also improved their defense this offseason by adding Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes and Ziaire Williams. On the offensive side of the ball, both Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelshvili should help make up for their lack of scoring and shooting.
While some more moves could be on the way, a bulk of the Lakers’ offseason work is done and everyone in the organization from ownership, to the front office, to the coaching staff, to the superstars, all seem to be on the same page about the direction they are heading.
Lakers need to make another roster move after signing Matisse Thybulle
The Lakers’ addition to Thybulle puts their roster at 16 players with guaranteed contracts. Teams can have up to 21 players on their rosters during the offseason, but before Opening Night, L.A. will need to make a move to trim it back down to 15.
That could happen by waiving a player and having a dead cap hit on their books, although their preference would likely be a trade that opens up one or multiple roster spots.
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