The Lakers are adding another defensive-minded wing to their roster.
The franchise and Matisse Thybulle agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $3.3 million.
Since Thybulle is signing a veteran’s minimum contract, he’ll have a $2.5 million cap hit for the Lakers, similar to Kevon Looney and Ziaire Williams.
ESPN first reported the Lakers adding Thybulle.
The Lakers will have 16 rostered players on guaranteed standard deals once Thybulle’s signing is official, meaning the franchise will need to trade or waive at least one player to become roster compliant (maximum 15 players signed to standard deals) before Opening Night in October.
Teams can carry a maximum of 21 players on their roster during the offseason, including the three two-way spots, before having to be roster-compliant the day before the regular season starts.
The addition of Thybulle, who’s entering his eighth season in the NBA after being the No. 20 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, addresses the Lakers need for perimeter defense after their offseason roster overhaul.
After being the 2019 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Thybulle was an All-Defensive second team honoree twice (2021 and ’22) during his 3 ½ seasons with the 76ers (2019-23) before Philadelphia traded him to the Trail Blazers ahead of the 2023 deadline.
Thybulle, 29, has played just 132 regular season games (and four playoff games) for the Trail Blazers over the last 3 ½ years.
After appearing in 65 games (19 starts) during his first full season in Portland in 2023-24, Thybulle played in 15 games in 2024-25 because of knee and ankle injuries and 30 games in 2025-26.
Thybulle missed 51 straight games from late October through late through mid-February after having surgery to repair a ligament in his left thumb but played in the Trail Blazers’ final 26 regular season games after the All-Star break.
He averaged 5.9 points (37.9% shooting on 3-pointers), 2.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 16.6 minutes in those 26 games before playing in four of Portland’s five playoff games, not including the Play-In Tournament win over the Suns on April 14.
This story will be updated.
