The Philadelphia 76ers have had an eventful offseason. From James Harden contract talks to signing PJ Tucker to the team partying in the Hamptons at Michael Rubin's White Out Part, a lot has gone down. There is plenty of reason for optimism with the team. James Harden's unselfishness has allowed Daryl Morey to upgrade their roster and they have done just this. The Sixers bench has been a cause for concern for several years and Morey has made some notable additions to this. De'Anthony Melton and Danuel House will be useful additions and PJ Tucker is a terrific fit on the team.
However, not everything can be positive. The Sixers may have made one massive mistake this offseason which they will regret moving forward. The Sixers' worst move of the 2022 NBA offseason was not trading Matisse Thybulle.
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Sixers worst move of 2022 NBA offseason
Matisse Thybulle is a fascinating basketball player. To some, he is a generational defensive talent whose instincts are unrivaled. To others, he is such a flawed offensive player that he has no business touching the floor. While the reality is likely somewhere in the middle, his greatest value to the Sixers would be as a trade piece and not on the roster.
The former 20th overall pick has made a solid impact during his time in the NBA. Matisse Thybulle has cracked the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his three year career which is incredibly impressive given the small amount of playing time he gets. He led the NBA in steal percentage last year at 3.4%. Thybulle also was 3rd in the NBA in defensive box plus/minus and 15th in block percentage. He also led the league in most blocked three-pointers.
Unfortunately, his brilliance on the defensive side of the ball is overshadowed by his offensive deficiencies. These were magnified greatly in the postseason which is a major concern moving forward. The Washington product played a key part in the Sixers' rotation during the regular season as he filled the fifth starter role. Thybulle saw his minutes slip from 25.5 minutes per game in the regular season to just 15.2 minutes per game in the playoffs.
The Sixers can't play Matisse Thybulle in this series. His defense hasn't come close to offsetting his offensive limitations.
They're playing 4-on-5 offensively with him out there. pic.twitter.com/sff4sY1NjD
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) May 5, 2022
While there is certainly a place in the NBA for Matisse Thybulle's unique talent, it is not best served on the Sixers. The franchise faced a similar issue with Ben Simmons in recent years. Defenses sag off Thybulle just as they did with Simmons, however he lacks the passing and ball-handling ability of the former number one overall pick. Providing the proper spacing around Joel Embiid is essential to optimizing his ability. Thybulle will never be an ideal complement to the superstar for this reason. While many hold out hope that his jump shot can improve, his confidence clearly isn't there. Thybulle shot 31.3% on three-pointer last year which is significantly lower than the 35.7% he averaged as a rookie. He also attempted fewer three-pointer per game despite playing more minutes.
The lingering contract issues also make not trading Matisse Thybulle such a missed opportunity. The 25-year-old is heading into his final year of his contract. If the Sixers had serious long-term interest in the defensive specialist, he likely would have been extended by now. However, his value is lower on the trade market given that he will be a free agent next summer. This value will continue to decrease during the season as there will be just months left on his deal. The concept of using him as a trade chip at the deadline is appealing, but doesn't make sense when considering the contractual issues.
It is unlike Morey to trade a player at low value which would likely be the case with Thybulle. The rest of the NBA is aware of his poor postseason performance just as the Sixers are. However, Philadelphia is in a position where they should be willing to sacrifice talent for fit. The additions of PJ Tucker and De'Anthony Melton provide them with the defensive ability the team needs. Flipping Matisse Thybulle for a rotational player who can play on both sides of the court would be beneficial to the team.
It is entirely possible that a potential deal is still on the table. James Harden has yet to sign his name on the dotted line to lock in the Sixers salary cap position. Harden's reasoning for this is to give the Sixers the necessary flexibility if a deal does occur. However, heading into next season with Matisse Thybulle on the Sixers roster would be a massive mistake. The franchise must set its focus on two-way players who thrive in a playoff environment. After proving to be unplayable last year, the Sixers cannot afford to rely on Thybulle once again.
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