Report Says Blazers Doing What They Can to Retain Ex-UW Guard Thybulle

Portland plans to rebuild around young core of players.

The Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard are done, but it looks like Matisse Thybulle and the franchise will be moving ahead together.

According to ESPN sources, the Portland franchise is matching Thybulle's three-year $33 million offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks and keeping the former University of Washington guard as a restricted free agent.

This purported move comes after franchise mainstay Lillard requested a trade following the recent NBA draft and most assuredly will be elsewhere next season.

Thybulle, 26, showed himself to be one of the NBA's top defenders in four-plus seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers before he was dealt to Portland at the trade deadline in February.

As the Blazers rebuild, Thybille fits what they're looking for in redoing the team around a young core of players. He started 22 games, averaging 7.4 points and 1.7 steals in 27 minutes a game.

Thybulle signed an offer sheet with Dallas on Thursday and Portland officials made a decision within an hour to match the sheet and retain him, ESPN said.

The organization will continue to pursue trades for Lillard, who's ready to move on following 11 seasons in Portland and comes off a season in which he averaged 32.2 points per game over 58 games.

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