Boomer Matisse Thybulle signs with Los Angeles Lakers

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Australian Boomers bronze medallist Matisse Thybulle has signed a one-year USD $3.3M deal with Luka Dončić's Los Angeles Lakers.

Australian-American Thybulle, 29, was part of the men’s national team that claimed its historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 – Australia's first men's Olympic basketball medal.

He missed the cut for the Boomers' 2024 Olympic Games campaign in Paris and his chances of making the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles are in jeopardy with six-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton now firmly in the frame. Only one naturalised player can be selected.

Thybulle missed 136 regular-season NBA games since he played his last game for the Australian Boomers on September 3, 2023, in a 100-84 win against Georgia at the FIBA Men’s World Cup.

“When you have this taken away from you, it shifts your perspective,” Thybulle said at his Trail Blazers exit interview, heading into free agency.

“You realise how much is not in your control.

“You work hard to get here, but going through the last two or three years, I’ve seen how much can be taken away, whether you want it to or not.

“I have a deeper appreciation now and a greater gratitude just to be part of it – to be an NBA player, to play basketball.

“That’s something my younger self didn’t fully grasp, and now it’s something I really cherish.”

He played just 30 games for the Blazers in 2025-26, averaging 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 16 minutes per game.

Thybulle has earned more than USD $45.5M during his career but was new to unrestricted free agency.

“I don’t really know how the whole proper free agency thing goes,” he admitted.

“I was a restricted free agent before, but this is very different.

“I don’t have expectations – I don’t know what to expect – but I would love to be a part of this team again.

“Like I said, it’s a great group with a lot of potential – good people.

"I talk about this with my friends and even older players who’ve been traded – I don’t know if everyone on this team fully realises how good a group we really have.

“You can get a couple of bad eggs that spoil it, but we don’t have anything close to that.

“The level of care and the quality of character in our locker room is something that’s really nice to be a part of.

“Personally, I would love to be here and continue growing with this team – but like I said, no expectations.”

In the end, the lure of Hollywood and playing alongside Dončić and Austin Reaves was enough.

Selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Thybulle was traded to Philadelphia on draft night and quickly established himself as an elite perimeter defender.

He earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honours in both 2021 and 2022, finishing 11th in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of those seasons.

After three-and-a-half seasons with the 76ers, Thybulle was traded to Portland during the 2022-23 campaign, where he has continued to showcase his disruptive defensive style while improving as a three-point shooter.

Through the 2025-26 season, he has appeared in 377 NBA games, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range.

Matisse Thybulle's NBA Career: By the Numbers

Matisse Thybulle's Boomers Career: By the Numbers

Matisse Thybulle's 2023 FIBA World Cup: By the Numbers

Matisse Thybulle Career Earnings Breakdown

Total Career Earnings

• $45,588,127 USD

Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2023) — Rookie Deal

4 years – $12,513,127

• 2019–20: $2,582,160
• 2020–21: $2,711,280
• 2021–22: $2,840,160
• 2022–23: $4,379,527

Total (PHI): $12.51M

Portland Trail Blazers (2023–2026) — Second Contract

3 years – $33,075,000

• 2023–24: $10,500,000
• 2024–25: $11,025,000
• 2025–26: $11,550,000

Total (POR): $33.07M

Matisse Thybulle Availability

• 2023–24: 79% availability
• 2024–25: 18% availability
• 2025–26: 37% availability

3-year average: ~45% availability

Injury Pattern

1. Lower body dominant

• Ankles (multiple clusters)
• Knees (recurring)
• Hip involvement

2. Compounding injuries

• 2024–25 = cascading breakdown
• 2025–26 = recovery but not stable

3. Fragmented availability

• Not just long injuries
• Repeated stop-start interruptions