Warriors Among Teams Eyeing Matisse Thybulle

The Warriors have had internal discussions about the possibility of trading for Matisse Thybulle, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports that Golden State likes the Sixers wing as a defensive stopper.

Marc Stein reported earlier in the week that the Kings are also among the teams with some level of interest in Thybulle, which Pompey confirms. A league source tells The Inquirer that Sacramento head coach Mike Brown is a fan of the 25-year-old.

Thybulle has made the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his first three NBA seasons, but has yet to develop into a reliable contributor at the offensive end. He’s averaging just 2.7 points in 12.1 minutes per night (45 games) for Philadelphia this season. The former 20th overall pick is also on an expiring contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

Multiple league sources tell Pompey that Thybulle’s inconsistent production and role in Philadelphia (he was out of the rotation earlier in the season) have hurt his trade value, suggesting he’s not worth a first-round pick at this point. As a result, Pompey wonders if the 76ers might be better off hanging onto the defensive ace, pointing out that the club has an 18-4 record when he plays at least 12 minutes and hasn’t lost any of the 10 games in which he has played at least 20 minutes.

It’s unclear what exactly the Sixers would be looking for if they traded Thybulle, who is earning $4.4MM in the final year of his rookie deal. If they talk to the Kings, Terence Davis could be one name who comes up — he’s rumored to be less than thrilled with his dip in playing time and is earning $4MM on an expiring contract. Philadelphia is also said to be in the market for a backup center, so Alex Len ($3.9MM) and Chimezie Metu ($1.9MM) may be of some interest, along with stretch four Trey Lyles ($2.6MM).

As for the Warriors, perhaps veteran stretch four JaMychal Green, who is on a minimum-salary contract and playing center in Golden State, would appeal to the Sixers. It’s hard to imagine Golden State parting with any of its recent first-round picks (James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, or Patrick Baldwin) in a deal for Thybulle. Wiseman would theoretically be an intriguing target for a Philadelphia team seeking size, but he can’t realistically be counted on for regular playoff minutes and his $9.6MM cap hit would complicate salary matching, as well as the Sixers’ reported desire to dip below the luxury tax line.

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