Philadelphia 76ers: Parlay the Chicago Bulls’ interest in Matisse Thybulle

As presently constructed, the Philadelphia 76ers just aren’t good enough to commandingly win a championship.

Now granted, could they luck into a Larry O’Brien via a perfect storm of injuries, luck, and advantageous officiating? You bet; the Milwaukee Bucks fell on the right side of the injury report more than a few times last season, and the Toronto Raptors notoriously caught one of the luckiest breaks, or should I say bounces, in NBA history on their way to a championship, but those teams were also a good bit better than this current Sixers team, and that may be an understatement.

But what are the Sixers to do? Should they tear it all down and start over #TheProcess2.0-style? Or maybe swap out the remainder of their assets to chase Bradley Beal?

The path of least resistance might just be to reconfigure the roster starting in the middle and upgrade spots 5-7 in the team’s rotation. Trade away veterans like Furkan Korkmaz and Danny Green – after guaranteeing his contract – to secure better fitting pieces and hope that a solid performer or two sign up in free agency either on the veteran minimum or using the MLE. Fortunately, if that’s the path the Philadelphia 76ers opt to traverse, the Chicago Bulls reportedly have interest in one of the team’s former first-round draft picks that could prove very interesting indeed.

The Philadelphia 76ers might be able to flip Matisse Thybulle for a better-fitting player.

For a team like the Chicago Bulls, who finished with the 22nd-ranked defensive rating in the NBA, the idea of securing Matisse Thybulle‘s services has to be pretty darn enticing. Sure, his offense is well below average, as even a dunk isn’t a guarantee when 22 has the ball in his hands, but goodness, when Thybulle is on, his defense is a certified game-changer.

For a team like the Bulls, who have good size across the roster, shooters at every position, and one of the best ISO scorers in the association in DeMar DeRozan, who can play multiple positions two-four, adding a defensive specialist like Thybulle could be incredibly valuable, especially if he can ever become even an average outside shooter in terms of efficiency and volume.

Factor in general manager Marc Eversley’s pre-existing relationship with Thybulle, who he helped to draft while a member of the Philadelphia 76ers’ front office, and it’s no wonder Sean Deveney is reporting that Chicago could be a suitor for the Washington defensive wizard should he become available.

Though the 2021-22 NBA season is still technically ongoing, it’s beginning to look a lot like the offseason around this part of the NBA landscape.

Alright, so who do the Bulls have on their roster that could entice the Sixers? Do they have the perfect addition who can glue Philly’s roster together? Eh, not really; outside of Zach LeVine and Patrick Willams, who are both either outright off the table or out of the team’s price range, the Bulls really don’t have the lights-out shooter and/or the 3-and-D wing the Sixers desperately need to fill out their starting five. Unless Philly really likes Coby White, who is sort of like Shake Milton with more upside, there really isn’t an obvious target on the Bulls worthy of a one-for-one swap with picks thrown in to even out the value.

Fortunately, there’s no rule that states that trades can only take place between two teams. While the Sixers may not be as interested in White if they retain Milton, Tyrese Maxey, Jaden Springer, and James Harden, maybe a team like the Pheonix Suns would be, and they, in turn, would be willing to give up a player like Cameron Johnson to get a deal done.

When looking to make a deal, it’s always better to have multiple bidders in order to bump up the price.

Is it possible Matisse Thybulle is untouchable in the minds of the Philadelphia 76ers? Totally; he’s an elite defensive player who very well may earn All-Defense honors for the second-straight season, but his lack of offensive development, when coupled with ill feelings about his inability to play in Toronto, may have placed him firmly on the block for the right price. If that’s the case, having an interested party like the Chicago Bulls could help to get Daryl Morey a better-fitting player, even if that player didn’t call the United Center home this past season.