Lakers Linked to Matisse Thybulle as Front Office Explores Another Move

The Jonathan Kuminga saga continues, with still no telling whether the Los Angeles Lakers will be able to pull off a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks to land the 23-year-old forward.

Although the pursuit of Kuminga is ongoing, the Lakers have another intriguing option that fits the bill as a 3-and-D player for Los Angeles.

Lakers Reportedly Interested in Matisse Thybulle

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers have interest in Matisse Thybulle, who has played for the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers throughout his seven-year NBA career.

The Lakers have again broadened their search for perimeter defense, league sources say, registering interest this week in free agent Matisse Thybulle.

They have already added Ziaire Williams while also continuing to pursue Jonathan Kuminga.

More NBA: https://t.co/mNpuuR3uFh pic.twitter.com/8kIkm2jULS
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 16, 2026

Even though the Lakers already have 15 players on the roster, the team clearly isn’t done making moves to open up roster spots, which would allow them to bring in Thybulle and improve their perimeter defense.

The roster overhaul isn’t over.

How the Lakers Can Make Space on the Roster

Sep 25, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, left, speaks during a press conference to preview the 2025-26 season at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are two ways the Lakers can create roster space to bring in a player like Thybulle.

One, simply waiving a player on the current roster, which might be the fallback option.

Secondly, making trades, with players like Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt and Bronny James being mentioned most often during this NBA offseason as trade candidates for the Lakers.

So even though it appears that the Lakers might be done this summer, especially after signing Ziaire Williams recently, it won’t be all that surprising to see another move or two in an attempt to improve the roster ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Lakers Dominating During the NBA Summer League

In the meantime, the Lakers are seeing promising signs from their young players at the NBA Summer League.

The Lakers are one of only two undefeated teams (3-0) in Las Vegas, along with the Atlanta Hawks.

Los Angeles will put that undefeated record on the line on Thursday night when they take on the Chicago Bulls (1-2). It’s the last game on the schedule for the Lakers, but they will play at least one more game, with every team playing a minimum of five games.

Arthur Kaluma has been the unexpected standout for the Lakers during their Summer League stint, averaging the seventh-most points per game at 22.3 to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists, shooting 71.4 percent from the floor and 58.8 percent from three-point range.

Rookie Cameron Carr has also played at a high level, showing why the Lakers felt strongly about bringing him in with their first-round pick (No. 24) in the 2026 NBA Draft.

The Lakers are shooting a Summer League-best 50.7 percent from the field.

If Carr and company can keep playing at a high level, they’ve got a decent chance of being the first Lakers squad to win the Summer League championship since 2017, led by Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Alex Caruso, Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac.

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