Matisse Thybulle Rumors

Trail Blazers Provide Injury Updates On Holiday, Thybulle, Henderson, Grant

January 1st, 2026 at 1:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jrue Holiday has been “cleared for a progression of on-court basketball activities” as he works his way back from a right calf strain that has kept him out of action since November 14, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

The 35-year-old guard has only appeared in 12 games since being acquired from Boston in an offseason trade. He was a full-time starter before the injury and was averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 33.4 minutes per night.

The release from the Blazers doesn’t offer a timetable of when Holiday might return to action, stating that “availability will be determined based on functional response to loading and updated accordingly.”

The team also provides updates on several other players, stating that Matisse Thybulle is progressing toward a return after undergoing thumb surgery in late October. The release states that Thybulle has been “working on a progressive ramp up” but is experiencing persistent symptoms of right knee tendinopathy. Thybulle appeared in four games prior to the surgery.

Scoot Henderson, who hasn’t played yet this season because of a hamstring issue, has begun “non-contact, on-court basketball activities.” The No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Jerami Grant, who has been sidelined since December 18 with left Achilles tendonitis, is traveling with the team on its current road trip and is considered day-to-day. The 31-year-old forward is viewed as a potential trade candidate ahead of the February 5 deadline.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Grant, Thunder, B. Brown

December 24th, 2025 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of a three-game winning streak that put them in play-in position, the Trail Blazers have lost back-to-back games at home and have slipped to 12-18, a half-game ahead of Dallas for the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference.

As Joe Freeman of The Oregonian writes in a subscriber-only story, what was supposed to be a season of hope for a Blazers team looking to build on last season’s strong second-half run has turned into a season of frustration, with head coach Chauncey Billups arrested on federal charges in October and several key players missing time due to injuries.

There has been no indication that Jrue Holiday (calf), Matisse Thybulle (thumb), or Scoot Henderson (hamstring) are on the verge of returning to provide reinforcements, Freeman writes. And after Tuesday’s loss to Orlando, Portland has now dropped 11 “clutch-time” games (defined as being within five points with less than five minutes to play), tied for the second-highest total in the NBA.

Still, head coach Tiago Splitter vowed that his team will stick together and continue battling, expressing confidence that the Blazers’ hard work will eventually pay off. That message was echoed by his players.

“We have a great group of guys,” Blazers forward Deni Avdija said. “They’re very strong mentally. And I think our team camaraderie is really good. I think we’re getting along with each other really good. We’re talking. Our chemistry is amazing. It’s one of the best chemistry teams that I’ve been on in a while. And I think, as you see, we just continue to fight. We’re not going to back off. And I think this is our identity. We believe in each other, we believe in ourselves as a team. It’s only going to make us better.”

We have more from around the Northwest:

Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, considered a potential in-season trade candidate, missed a third consecutive game on Tuesday. As Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets, Grant’s injury is now being referred to by the team as left Achilles tendonitis rather than Achilles soreness.
Although the Thunder have lost three of their past five games following their 24-1 start, Rylan Stiles of SI.com argues that Oklahoma City should stand pat at the trade deadline, writing that it’s not worth risking the chemistry of a tight-knit team for an upgrade that might prove to be marginal. The Thunder would be better off betting on continued internal improvements, Stiles says, including Ajay Mitchell getting more comfortable in his new role and Jalen Williams getting back to 100% following his offseason wrist surgery.
Nuggets guard Bruce Brown and Rockets forward Kevin Durant used to play together in Brooklyn, but the former Nets teammates engaged in a verbal back-and-forth both during and after Houston’s win on Saturday, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). “Some words were said that’s a little disrespectful. I can’t wait to see him next time,” Brown said, explaining that he felt Durant said something to him that crossed a line. “As a man, there’s certain things you don’t say to another man.” Durant showed little remorse when informed of Brown’s post-game remarks. “I definitely wanted to cross the line tonight,” the Rockets star said with a smile. “That’s basketball. That’s in between the lines. Ain’t no respect. Ain’t no love. Nothing. People don’t show love to me. They cross the line a lot with their physicality. It’s just part of the game. Some people can talk and play. Some people can’t. I had to learn how to talk and play as a player. So I think Bruce is probably learning the same thing.”

Northwest Notes: J. Williams, Randle, Holiday, Thybulle, Bailey

November 29th, 2025 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Williams was back on the court Friday night, adding another weapon to the Thunder’s already-potent lineup, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. Returning to the starting lineup in his season debut, Williams scored 11 points in 29 minutes and handed out eight assists as Oklahoma City defeated Phoenix to advance to the next round of NBA Cup competition.

“Just pass the ball to the guys who’ve been playing was the goal for tonight,” Williams told reporters. “I’m also joining a team that’s 18-1 up until when I played, so you try to fit in a little bit offensively and not mess up the rotations. And then obviously (Isaiah Hartenstein) and Ajay (Mitchell) don’t play tonight either, so it’s like now our rotations are even more different. I’m just trying to pick and choose spots and mesh with what the team is doing.”

Friday marked the end of a long recovery process for Williams, who underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in early July, shortly after the end of the NBA Finals. He needed a second procedure in late October to take out a screw that was causing irritation.

Martinez notes that Williams, who was a second-team All-Defensive selection last season, displayed his versatility in Friday’s game by serving as the primary defender on 10 different Phoenix players, ranging from point guard Collin Gillespie to center Mark Williams. He held them to a combined 3-of-14 from the field.

“Defense is very easy compared to offense, especially when you lose your right hand for five months,” Williams added. “I can always play hard defensively and figure it out from there. It’s going to take some time (with shooting). Like I said, I haven’t played in forever. … I’m still trying to figure my way out through my jump shot and dribbling and trying to get my touch back. That’s just something that’s got to progress throughout the season. But defensively, my feet feel fine and my wind is actually really good. I can always do that.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch plans to expand Julius Randle‘s role in the offense, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).“We need to put him more in the heart of what we’re doing,” Finch said at Friday’s practice, “and that’s a lot of things we worked on today.”
Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter said Jrue Holiday is “getting better” as he works his way back from a calf injury that has sidelined him for the past seven games, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Holiday was able to participate in some non-contact drills at Saturday’s practice, but hasn’t received full clearance from the medical staff. Splitter added that Matisse Thybulle, who is recovering from thumb surgery and hasn’t played since October 26, is doing some shooting and ball-handling work, but also hasn’t been cleared for full contact.
Jazz rookie forward Ace Bailey is considered day-to-day after suffering a bruise on his right knee in Friday’s game, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

Blazers’ Thybulle Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out 4-6 Weeks

October 31st, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle underwent surgery on Friday morning to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks, the team announced (via Twitter).

According to the Blazers, Thybulle sustained the thumb injury during Wednesday’s game in Utah. The 28-year-old had an MRI on Thursday, which revealed the UCL tear.

It’s a tough blow for the guard/forward, who is now in his seventh NBA season. Thybulle is on an expiring $11.5MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer unless he signs a veteran extension before the league year ends on June 30, 2026.

After playing at least 65 games in each of his first five seasons, Thybulle was limited to just 15 contests in ’24/25 due to knee and ankle injuries. The former first-round pick, who was selected 20th overall in 2019, is mostly known for his athleticism and top-tier defense, having been named to a pair of All-Defensive teams (in 2021 and 2022).

In four appearances this fall, Thybulle has averaged 5.0 points and 2.5 steals in just 12.3 minutes per game. It’s a very small sample size (49 minutes), but Portland has been much better when Thybulle is on the court (+21.0 net rating) than when he’s not playing (+1.8).

On a more positive note, oft-injured center Robert Williams will make his season debut on Friday versus Denver, interim head coach Tiago Splitter told reporters, including Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). Williams had been listed as questionable to suit up.

Third-year wings Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert are candidates for more playing time while Thybulle recovers from thumb surgery.

Injury Notes: Trail Blazers, Knicks, Heat, Pelicans

October 20th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Rory Maher

While he’s not sure who will be ready for Wednesday’s season opener against Minnesota, head coach Chauncey Billups said Toumani Camara (knee), Deni Avdija (back), Robert Williams (knee) and Matisse Thybulle (knee) were full participants in Monday’s practice, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.

Williams, who has been plagued by knee issues throughout his career, was limited to just 20 games last season. He didn’t play at all during the preseason, nor did Thybulle, who appeared in just 15 games last season due to knee and ankle issues.

Camara, the recipient of a new four-year, $81MM extension, appeared in two preseason games, while Avdija played in all four but exited the finale with upper back stiffness.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Knicks may be without a pair of key rotation players for their regular season opener vs. Cleveland, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Josh Hart (back spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (load management) didn’t practice Monday, and head coach Mike Brown isn’t sure if either player will be available Wednesday. “Everything we’re doing with him is about managing his workload, which we’ll do the whole year,” Brown replied when asked if there is an injury for Robinson.
Rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) and second-year Kel’el Ware (neck spasms) were unable to practice Monday for the Heat, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Ware is being evaluated by a doctor, Chiang adds. Miami’s regular season begins Wednesday in Orlando.
Lottery pick Derik Queen went through a full practice Saturday for the first time since undergoing left wrist surgery in July. While the Pelicans big man thinks he could play in Wednesday’s opener at Memphis, head coach Willie Green was careful to temper expectations after a lengthy layoff, writes Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. “We’ve got to listen to how his body is responding,” Green said. “This is his first time playing with contact in a few months. We don’t want to rush. If he’s ready, that’s another conversation that we’ll have.” Second-year center Karlo Matkovic was unable to practice Saturday due to an elbow injury the team continues to evaluate, Green added.

Blazers Notes: Lillard, Henderson, Grant, Camara, Clingan, More

September 29th, 2025 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked at the Trail Blazers‘ media day on Monday if there’s any scenario in which he plays this season, Damian Lillard admitted it’s hard to envision making it back from his Achilles tear before the 2026/27 campaign.

“I don’t plan on it,” Lillard said of playing in ’25/26, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). “I feel like if this team is a one seed (without me), they probably got it. I’m trying to be as healthy as possible.”

Lillard added that the trainers and other players who have sustained Achilles injuries who have spoken to him about the recovery process have stressed patience and suggested that he shouldn’t be trying to make it back “in record time” (Twitter link via Highkin).

Although he almost certainly won’t be suiting up for the Trail Blazers this season, Lillard will still be one of the 15 players on the team’s standard roster, which head coach Chauncey Billups believes puts the longtime star point guard in a unique position when it comes to mentoring Portland’s younger players.

“He’s not a coach. He’s still a player. There’s a different level of connectivity that comes with that,” Billups said, noting that he wants Lillard to “keep a really close eye” on Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and Scoot Henderson (Twitter link via Highkin).

Henderson, like Lillard, will be unavailable when the season begins, though his hamstring injury is only projected to keep him out for the start of the season, not all of it. Speaking on Monday to reporters, he referred to the injury as a “freak accident” and “minor setback” and said he’s still feeling positive about the season (Twitter links). Billups noted it’s a disappointing turn of events for the former No. 3 overall pick because he’d had an “incredible summer” prior to the injury (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the Blazers’ media day, via Highkin:

Billups said on Monday that there are “a lot of ways” the Trail Blazers’ starting lineup could go this fall and that the players who want starting jobs will have to earn them (Twitter link). Interestingly, when forward Jerami Grant was asked about the possibility of coming off the bench, he replied, “I don’t really expect that” (Twitter link). There had been some speculation this offseason that Grant could be asked to accept a reserve role due to the emergence of young forwards Avdija and Toumani Camara.
Speaking of Camara, he’s eligible to sign a contract extension but said on Monday that he’s leaving that up to his agent. “I’m just focused on basketball,” Camara said (Twitter link). “I’m trying to stay away from that right now. If I take care of my business on the court, everything will work itself out.”
With Deandre Ayton no longer in Portland, second-year center Donovan Clingan will be looking to play a major role. He said on Monday that he has worked on improving his conditioning and is aiming to average 30-plus minutes per night (Twitter link). Rookie big man Yang Hansen will be among the players vying for minutes in the middle, with Billups referring to the No. 16 overall pick as “right there in the mix” for minutes. “I think Hansen’s done a really good job of getting situated and understanding what we’re doing,” Billups said (Twitter link). “He’s definitely going to play.”
Big man Robert Williams, who underwent a procedure on his knee in March and has been limited to 26 games in two seasons since arriving in Portland, said he’s not sure when he’ll be cleared to play, though he and the training staff have a target date in mind (Twitter links).
Jrue Holiday and Matisse Thybulle are among the players who expressed enthusiasm on Monday about the defensive potential of the Blazers’ roster (Twitter links). “Playing games in your mind of what lineups we can put out there is pretty fun,” Thybulle said. “We have a few All-Defense-level players. I think we can put some ridiculous lineups out there.”

Blazers’ Matisse Thybulle Opting In For 2025/26

June 24th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle is opting into the final year of his contract by exercising his player option for 2025/26, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Thybulle signed a three-year, $33MM deal with Portland during the summer of 2023 that included a third-year player option worth $11.55MM. By picking up that option, the 28-year-old will guarantee his salary for ’25/26. His decision had been due by the end of the day on Tuesday, so this news was expected.

A defensive ace who earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team in both 2021 and 2022 as a member of the Sixers, Thybulle was dealt from Philadelphia to Portland at the 2023 trade deadline and has been a Blazer since then.

While his offensive production has always lagged well behind his contributions on defense, the former 20th overall pick has been a little more productive in Portland, bumping his three-point percentage to 36.8% after hitting just 32.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc with the 76ers. He has averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 23.6 minutes per game across 102 appearances in Portland.

Thybulle was limited to 15 outings in 2024/25 for health reasons. He underwent a procedure in October, just before the start of the regular season, to address inflammation in his right knee. Although it wasn’t supposed to sideline him for a significant period, he sustained a bad right ankle sprain in late November during his ramp-up process, which set back his recovery and meant he didn’t make his season debut until March 16.

Even after agreeing to trade Anfernee Simons to Boston in a deal for Jrue Holiday, the Blazers will have a significant amount of expiring money on their 2025/26 cap, with Thybulle joining Deandre Ayton ($35.6MM) and Robert Williams ($13.3MM). We’ll see if the front office attempts to turn any more of those expiring deals into a player with multiple years of team control, like it did with Simons.

Stein’s Latest: Gafford, Irving, VanVleet, Collins, Thybulle

June 24th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The terms of Daniel Gafford‘s three-year extension will keep him trade-eligible without a six-month waiting period, but that doesn’t mean the Mavericks are looking to deal the 26-year-old center, Marc Stein of The Stein Line writes in his latest column (Substack link). Stein confirms that Gafford’s new contract, which will start with the 2026/27 season and is projected to be worth about $54MM, contains no options for him or the team.

Stein states that Dallas’ front office expects “considerable” trade interest in Gafford, but is reluctant to part with him after injuries limited Dereck Lively to 36 games during his second NBA season. Stein notes that forward P.J. Washington is also eligible for an extension this summer and says the Mavericks plan to hold onto him as well.

This is an important day for the organization, Stein adds, as it’s the deadline for Kyrie Irving to pick up a $43MM player option. If Irving passes on the option, Stein views that as a sign that he has an agreement with the Mavericks on a new long-term deal that will likely be announced early in free agency. It’s also possible that Irving could pick up the option and negotiate an extension after the moratorium is lifted or he could decide to test free agency next summer. A source tells Stein that Irving remained undecided as of Monday night.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

The Rockets may decline their $44.9MM option on Fred VanVleet, but Stein states there’s “no scenario” where he won’t be with the team next season. A source tells Stein that Houston and VanVleet would “do a new deal” if the option is turned down by Sunday’s deadline. Stein points out that the original deadline on the team option was five days after the Rockets’ season ended, but VanVleet and the team reached an agreement to push it back to late June. Stein also notes that Kevin Durant will be eligible for a two-year extension once he officially joins the team next month, suggesting it’s possible that VanVleet and Durant will both be signed to new deals that cover the next three seasons.
Stein reports that Jazz center Walker Kessler has been “unavailable for some time” and speculates that could have led to recent rumors that the Lakers are interested in John Collins. Stein calls it a “mischaracterization” to suggest that L.A. is a trade suitor for Collins.
The Trail Blazers expect swingman Matisse Thybulle to pick up his $11.5MM player option by today’s deadline, Stein adds.

Northwest Notes: Thybulle, Hartenstein, Holmgren, Jazz, Edwards

March 17th, 2025 at 8:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Matisse Thybulle played only six minutes in his season debut with the Trail Blazers on Sunday but he made a major impact. He blocked a three-point attempt by Orlando Robinson as time expired in the three-point victory, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian notes.

“It was fun,” Thybulle said. “My head was spinning a bit, got tired a lot faster than I was expecting, but felt like I fit in well. Felt like I was able to contribute early, which was something I was hoping to be able to do. And then, was able to recover from a mistake late in the game and save it.”

Head coach Chauncey Billups was thrilled to have the defensive stalwart back in action. Thybulle had been sidelined by knee and ankle injuries for most of the 2024/25 season.

“Obviously, you saw how he hadn’t played all year, and game’s on the line, you see, I trust him,” Billups said. “Just throw him out there.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Thunder‘s big man pairing of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren was particularly effective in a win over Milwaukee on Sunday. Hartenstein had 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Holmgren had 16 points and eight rebounds. They also combined for six assists. “It’s improved over the course of games we’ve done it. … I think early on, when we were playing that lineup, it was against perimeter oriented teams, which can skew your impression of it,” head coach Mark Daigneault said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). “(Sunday) we used it against a team it was impactful against.”
The Jazz were fined $100K last week for holding out a healthy Lauri Markkanen, so they tried a new tanking strategy against the Raptors on Friday, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Instead of making Walker Kessler inactive, the Jazz chose to dress the rotation center but not play him. Markkanen sat the entire second half while Collin Sexton played only 20 minutes and was held out during crunch time. That trio started against a much better opponent, the Timberwolves, on Sunday and the Jazz lost by 26 points.
Anthony Edwards, who was named Western Conference Player of the Week, has improved as a facilitator and The Athletic’s Fred Katz details his development in that aspect. Edwards has especially gotten better in reading defensive coverages and exploiting its weaknesses, Katz notes.

Injury Notes: Washington, Ball, Thybulle, Kaminsky

March 16th, 2025 at 10:12am CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks forward P.J. Washington is not listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Philadelphia, so he appears on track to return after missing the past seven games with a right ankle sprain, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.

It’s certainly welcome news for Dallas, which has been absolutely devastated by injuries over the past several weeks. Even with Washington back, the Mavs will still be shorthanded, as Kyrie Irving (torn ACL), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (wrist surgery), Dante Exum (broken hand), Anthony Davis (left adductor strain), Dereck Lively (right ankle stress fracture) and Daniel Gafford (right knee sprain) are out.

Jaden Hardy is doubtful for Sunday’s game as he continues to deal with a right ankle sprain, while Kai Jones (left quad strain) and Caleb Martin (left hip strain) are questionable. Brandon Williams, who is on a two-way deal, is probable with left hamstring tightness, per the league’s official injury report.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball missed 15 games earlier in 2024/25 due to a right wrist injury. He reinjured the wrist at the end of February, causing him to miss the past seven games, and he’ll likely miss at least five more, as he didn’t travel with the team during its West Coast trip, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I haven’t heard anything about him being shut down,” head coach Billy Donovan said Saturday. “I think what he’s doing right now is just trying to get himself back to playing. Doctors aren’t saying, ‘Hey, listen, you gotta sit out.’ It’s just when he feels that he can do things on the court that he’s comfortable with. Like he can’t shoot right now, hasn’t been able to do that . . . passing and dribbling. Until that subsides, then he’ll be out, but I think he, in my conversations with him, it’s been everything to try to get back to playing. No one has said to me from above, ‘Hey, this goes on a little longer, we’re going to have him shut down.’ I have not heard that.”
Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle underwent a procedure in October, just before the start of the regular season, to address inflammation in his right knee. It wasn’t supposed to sideline him for a significant period, but he sustained a bad right ankle sprain in late November during his ramp-up process, which set back his recovery. “I’ve talked to so many people about it now, and the overarching sentiment is that with ankle sprains this bad, sometimes it’s better to just break it than to sprain it,” Thybulle said, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “Because the recovery time with all the ligaments that were torn takes so long. With a bone, it can just heal back up and it’s just as strong. It was a whole process. And then to have it happen in conjunction with a different injury … You start with the knee, and then hurt the ankle as bad as I did, and have those things be married as one giant injury to be dealt with. It made it quite the process.” Thybulle was technically active for the first time this season on Wednesday vs. New York, but he didn’t end up playing. Head coach Chauncey Billups said the two-time All-Defensive member’s role is up in the air for the final 15 games of ’24/25, according to Highkin.
Former NBA big man Frank Kaminsky, who spent training camp with Phoenix last fall before being cut, will miss the remainder of the NBA G League season, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Kaminsky, who had been playing for the Raptors 905 until recently, is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.