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Despite being selected to the past two NBA All-Defensive Teams, Matisse Thybulle has nearly fallen out of the Philadelphia 76ers rotation. The fourth-year guard is in the final season of his rookie contract, and if this season is any indication, he may not be in the 76ers long term plans. The Sacramento Kings have reportedly been monitoring his availability, according to NBA correspondent Marc Stein, who stated:
"Sacramento is said to be monitoring the availability of Philadelphia’s Matisse Thybulle as the Kings, unexpectedly holding the West’s No. 3 seed after a league-record 16 consecutive seasons out of the playoffs, ponder the pursuit of a more defensive-minded option on the perimeter."
The Kings have likely been the biggest surprise in the NBA this season as they currently rank third in the Western Conference with a 28-21 record. While Sacramento's offense has been elite, ranking first in points per game and second in offensive rating, their defense has struggled. They are currently ranked 22nd in opponents points per game and 20th in defensive rating.
Adding a player like Thybulle could tremendously help them on the less flashy side of the ball. Furthermore, at just 25 years old, the 20th overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft fits their timeline perfectly. While Thybulle finished last year ranked fifth on the 76ers in minutes per game, averaging 25.5 minutes, that has dropped all the way down to 11th this season, as he has averaged just 12.1 minutes.
It's unclear what the 76ers would expect back in terms of compensation, however, despite his defensive prowess, Thybulle does not appear to be in their long-term plans. If Philadelphia has no interest in re-signing him, they may be best suited to move on now before he hits restricted free agency this summer.
Watch Matisse Thybulle's defensive highlights below:
How has Matisse Thybulle performed in 2022-2023?
Matisse Thybulle's counting stats have not been great this season, as he has averaged just 2.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks in 12.1 minutes per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range and 70.0% from teh free throw line.
His advanced stats, however, have painted a different picture. Thybulle's win shares per 48 minutes has been in line with his career totals and ranks fourth on the team amongst players with at least 500 minutes. Despite falling out of the rotation, it is clear that he is still capable of performing at the level that earned him All-Defensive nods in each of the past two seasons.
Watch more of Matisse Thybulle's highlights below:
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