The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent Matisse Thybulle to a one-year, $3.3 million deal. Thybulle last played for the Portland Trail Blazers and ended 2025-26 averaging 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 43.3% from the field and 39.8% from behind the three-point line.
As things stand, the two-time All-Defensive Second Team member (2020-21 and 2021-22) will likely replace Jake LaRavia in the Lakers’ projected starting lineup. Let’s take a look at the Lakers’ new projected starting lineup for the 2026-27 season.
Point Guard: Luka Doncic
Shooting Guard: Austin Reaves
Small Forward: Quentin Grimes
Power Forward: Matisse Thybulle
Center: Walker Kessler
This starting five would address the defensive concerns that were raised throughout last season for the Lakers, as they now have two elite defenders: Thybulle and Kessler.
Even though Thybulle is not as athletic to be considered a lob threat like Jonathan Kuminga or P.J. Washington would have been, they are not as good a defender as Thybulle has proven himself to be.
Ideally, the addition of Matisse Thybulle would have implied that they are no longer pursuing Jonathan Kuminga. Since they will already have to waive a player before opening night and have reached a stalemate in their negotiations with Kuminga, one would assume those talks fell through.
However, according to Jovan Buha, the Lakers’ reporter for Buha’s Block, he recorded an episode of his own podcast in which he dove into how this trade does not imply the end of the potential pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga in the purple and gold jersey.
“This brings us to the Kuminga conversation. In theory, Jonathan Kuminga is 6’8 or 6’9, so he brings that size, that athleticism, and that wing defense. But with this move, the Lakers are now at 16 players.”
“So if they rescind the rights and Kuminga is willing to sign a minimum, then the Lakers could sign him and figure out what contracts to shed before opening night and whatnot.”
“This [trade], to me, is not quite Kuminga insurance, because I’ve seen some people say they’ve signed Thybulle, Kuminga’s gone now. I think that’s not the case,” Jovan Buha explained.
“I think it’s more the Lakers moving forward and being like, ‘Ok, we can still fit Kuminga in here as a starter if it works out. But hey, we’re moving forward; we added another wing, we like our group. And we’ll have to figure out that starting group; maybe someone pops, maybe it’s Adou, could be someone else, maybe it’s Ziaire. Or we make a move at the deadline or ultimately, next summer.”
“Ok, there might be a stalemate right now… But in terms of just landing Kuminga logistically, I don’t see why those odds would have decreased at all,” Buha further added.
“Atlanta’s not going to keep Kuminga, so them doing a sign-and-trade for it makes sense. If they get a second [round pick] or two, why would you not help Kuminga get where he wants and get a second-round pick out of it?”
“I think the hurdle here is: where do you reroute Dalton and Hardy? And ultimately, what is the Kuminga contract? If you can’t find rerouting spots for those guys and you can’t close with Kuminga in terms of the final money, then that’s going to prevent Kuminga from coming.”
“I do think them landing Dort and Dallas landing Rissacher yesterday did make whatever those odds of having the avenue to land Kuminga and P.J Washington, I still stand by saying I believe those odds have increased,” Buha said.
“Is Kuminga willing to take less money and buy into the Lakers’ role? That’s a question only him and his camp can answer. But in terms of the logistics of it actually working out, I do think there’s a clear path there.”
“It’s just a matter of whether the Lakers can reroute the money or the players and if Kuminga accepts the money,” he concluded.
Hence, it is not a foregone conclusion that the addition of Matisse Thybulle to the Lakers’ roster means they will no longer pursue a sign-and-trade deal for Jonathan Kuminga.
Assuming that the Kuminga talk falls through, what do you think about the Lakers’ currently projected starting lineup? Let us know if you think they can contend for a championship in the comments section.
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