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Philadelphia 76ers: 3 deals to send Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers

By Zach Ciavolella

Apr 10, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle (22) warms up before the game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle (22) warms up before the game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 3: Save money, add a future asset

First on the list is the option to move Thybulle, create some financial flexibility and reload with a future asset. The Portland Trail Blazers would receive Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz, while the Sixers would add a future first-round draft pick, solving two issues for the team.

Portland has clearly shown interest in Thybulle, and Korkmaz would be able to provide some depth at a reasonable price for the Blazers. The Blazers have already solidified their team to a degree by trading for Jerami Grant and guaranteeing Hart’s contract next season, but there’s still more work to be done if the team wants to live up to Lillard’s lofty expectations.

The primary complication is that Portland currently owes their 2023 first-rounder to the Chicago Bulls, which is lottery-protected through 2018. In order to complete this deal, the Portland Trail Blazers would have to remove the protections on the pick in a deal with Chicago making it unprotected for the 2023 season. That’s a pretty big ask for a team that drafted seventh just last week.

If Daryl Morey can convince the Blazers to remove said protections, there is a path to a deal. It appeared clear that the Sixers aren’t interested in a salary dump; however, if the return is a legitimate first-round pick, they could likely be convinced.