Sixers Rumors: A Matisse Thybulle Extension 'Briefly' Discussed
The Philadelphia 76ers have an important decision to make regarding their young veteran wing, Matisse Thybulle. By Monday night, Thybulle and the Sixers have to reach an extension agreement, or else the 25-year-old will become a free agent at the end of the 2022-2023 season.
Over the offseason, there wasn't much traction on a possible Thybulle extension. When asked about the situation during media day two weeks back, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey wasn't open to publicly discussing the state of a possible extension for Thybulle.
"I would say that talks between, you know, any player and us on contract we keep between us, the agent, and the player," said Morey.
At the time, the Sixers weren't reported to be discussing with Thybulle's representatives about a possible extension, but that seemingly changed on Saturday night.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, discussions between the organization and Thybulle's agent have fired up ahead of the deadline.
"The Philadelphia 76ers have recently held brief conversations on the possibility of a rookie-scale contract extension for elite defensive guard Matisse Thybulle, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Conversations have been with Thybulle's agent, Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports."
Thybulle joined the Sixers after a four-year stint at the University of Washington. After wrapping up his senior season, Thybulle entered the 2019 NBA Draft, where he became the 20th overall pick selected by the Boston Celtics.
When Thybulle was drafted by the Cs, he was immediately traded to the 76ers. Since debuting for the Sixers, Thybulle has had a steady role in the team's rotation. Since his defense shined from day one, the Sixers trotted out the young wing for 65 games in his rookie year.
After year three, Thybulle had appeared in 196 games, with 72 starts. He is a two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection.
This season, the Sixers hope that Thybulle brings more value to the offensive side of the ball along with his elite perimeter defense. Considering the young veteran looked improved in four preseason games by shooting 44 percent from three after a slow start, the Sixers might find a way to lock in Thybulle for future seasons sometime soon.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
