Matisse Thybulle seeks to continue raising offensive profile: Trail Blazers season review, look ahead

The Oregonian/OregonLive is taking a player-by-player look at the Portland Trail Blazers roster heading into the offseason.

Prior posts: Jabari Walker; Duop Reath; Kris Murray; Rayan Rupert; Dalano Banton; Moses Brown; Justin Minaya; Ibou Badji; Ashton Hagans.

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Matisse Thybulle

Height, position, age: 6-foot-5, guard/forward, 27.

Contract status: Thybulle will make $11 million next season and has a player option for 2025-26 worth $11.5 million.

2023-24 contributions: Thybulle appeared in 65 games with 19 starts and averaged 5.4 points with 2.1 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game.

His shooting dipped to 39.7% from the field from 43.8% in 2022-23. His three-point shooting also fell, dropping to 34.6% from 38.8%.

The team’s devotion to development afforded Thybulle a level of offensive freedom he wasn’t used to. He took more shots off the dribble, fired off threes quicker, and slashed to the basket more frequently. He set career-highs in shot attempts (317) and three-point attempts (231).

“On a team that’s trying to figure themselves out, there’s a lot more opportunity for individuals to explore themselves as players,” Thybulle said. “And I feel like I got that chance this year.”

The next step for Thybulle, who began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, is to improve his efficiency.

“So now, to have had that experience, for me, it’s take that and just refine it,” Thybulle said. “For my previous years in the league, I just didn’t have the experience. So, I didn’t know what more I could do.”

Fit moving forward: The Blazers could use a defensive-minded guard who can hit the wide-open three. If they want to win, that is. But the franchise remains committed to player development. Therefore, keeping Thybulle around to eat minutes that could go to younger players might not make much sense. Especially given that Thybulle will likely leave as an unrestricted free agent following next season.

Trade value: Any team interested in a quality perimeter defender would likely have interest in Thybulle.

Likelihood to return: Last season, the Dallas Mavericks extended a contract offer to Thybulle, then a restricted free agent, and the Blazers matched. Should another team seek to trade for Thybulle, who has a no-trade clause, it could be in the Blazers’ best interest to move him for draft capital before he potentially bolts as a free agent.

2024-25 outlook: Should Thybulle return, he would find himself in a similar role as a versatile backup. Certainly, he would play to raise his value to attract interest from teams in 2025.

That would require further building upon the offensive growth he displayed last season.

“It was challenging,” Thybulle said of the season. “And there’s a lot that didn’t go the way I wanted it to as an individual and as a team. But I think through that, there was a lot of opportunity to learn. And so I think for myself, my biggest takeaway was just having been present for the lessons that were available and feeling like I was able to grow as a person and as a player in spite of the struggles that we had as a team.”

Next up: Forward Toumani Camara.

-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)

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