Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle, who has missed the entire 2024/25 season so far, will be available to play on Wednesday vs. New York, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
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.
Known for his defensive prowess, Thybulle earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and again in 2022 as a member of the Sixers, but failed to develop his offensive game during his time in Philadelphia. He was sent to Portland at the 2023 trade deadline and then re-signed with the Blazers during the 2023 offseason on a three-year, $33MM contract.
Thybulle still isn’t much of a scorer, having averaged 5.9 points per game in 87 total outings as a Blazer. However, the 28-year-old has been a more reliable outside threat since the trade, making 35.8% of 3.6 three-point tries per game in Portland after knocking down just 32.5% of 2.1 attempts per game as a Sixer.
While the Blazers aren’t entirely out of the play-in hunt yet, they’re currently mired in a four-game losing streak that has reduced their postseason chances. They sit 12th in the West and are now five full games back of the No. 10 Mavericks with just 16 left to play.
Whether or not Portland is eliminated from the postseason race in the coming weeks, Thybulle should get an opportunity to compete for rotation minutes and make a case for a spot on next season’s roster. The sixth-year veteran holds an $11.55MM player option that he’ll almost certainly exercise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Blazers will bring him back for 2025/26, since he could become an offseason trade candidate on that expiring deal.