No extension for Matisse Thybulle, officially a restricted free agent next summer

While the two sides reportedly held brief discussions over the weekend, nothing came to fruition between Matisse Thybulle and the Philadelphia 76ers on a rookie-scale contract extension by today’s 6:00pm ET deadline. As a result, Thybulle will enter the open market for the first time in his professional career, becoming a restricted free agent at the beginning of next summer.

The fact that no deal was reached hardly comes as a surprise. From Thybulle’s perspective, his market value is at an all-time low coming off a disappointing end to the regular season and postseason last spring. He would surely like to demonstrate he has made at least some strides on the offensive end of the court and improve his stock in the eyes of potential suitors. Thybulle has spoken about how this past summer was one where he was actually able to work on his individual game following successive offseasons disrupted by COVID and then Olympic play with Team Australia.

Meanwhile, from the Sixers’ side of things, it would be foolhardy to get locked in long-term on a player who has yet to prove he can be a beneficial part of a postseason rotation given the holes in his game. If Matisse does improve upon his areas of weakness over the course of the season, the team always has the chance to match an offer in restricted free agency. Sure, by not extending now, the team runs the risk of having to pay up to retain his services versus the current “buy low” window, but that’s likely a worthwhile calculus.

Based upon training camp and preseason play, Thybulle does not currently appear to be a part of the regular rotation. The offseason additions of P.J. Tucker, De’Anthony Melton, and Danuel House Jr have pushed Matisse to somewhere around the 11th or 12th spot on the roster. He will undoubtedly get minutes based upon certain matchups and as minor injuries crop up throughout the regular season. However, if Thybulle is going to find his way back into the second unit, he’ll need to show he put that summer of work to good purpose and has become a more well-rounded player. Whether that happens and Matisse earns himself a bigger deal next offseason will be one of the minor storylines to watch as the season unfolds. For now, the work continues.