Lakers Sign Matisse Thybulle, Raising Roster Questions Ahead of 2026-27

The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million contract with veteran wing Matisse Thybulle on Monday. The deal adds a two-time All-Defensive honoree to a roster that will now carry 16 guaranteed salaries heading into the 2026-27 season, one more than the league-wide limit of 15 players for the regular season.

CBS Sports

The signing follows a “sign-and-trade splurge” that brought Walker Kessler to Los Angeles and a stalled pursuit of unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. With the offseason roster cap set at 21 players, the Lakers are currently within limits, but they must trim to 15 by opening night in late October. All 15 players already on the roster have guaranteed contracts, meaning any reduction will likely involve a trade or a waiver of a guaranteed salary.

CBS Sports

• Total guaranteed salaries after Thybulle’s addition: 16 players.

Bleacher Report

• Notable contracts: Luka Doncic $49.5 M, Austin Reaves $41.2 M, Walker Kessler $30.1 M, Jaden Hardy $6 M, Dalton Knecht $4.2 M, Bronny James $2.3 M, Adou Thiero $2.15 M.

Bleacher Report

• Thybulle’s recent production: 5 steals in 8.9 minutes per game last season, 41 % field-goal shooting, 41.8 % from three-point range over the past two seasons, and league-leading steals/deflections per 36 minutes among players with >=20 games.

ESPN

ESPN sources reported that Thybulle chose Los Angeles to “beef up the team’s wing defense.” The Athletic’s John Hollinger noted the roster crunch could force the Lakers to waive or stretch Bronny James’s $2.2 M salary to stay under the luxury-tax line, though he also suggested sharpshooting guard Jaden Hardy is a more realistic candidate for removal. Dan Woike of The Athletic observed that “it appears that momentum has stalled” on the Kuminga pursuit, implying the Thybulle deal may be a stop-gap rather than a long-term solution.

Newsweek

Analysts caution that the move offers limited upside. While Thybulle can improve perimeter defense, his “historic shooting struggles” could force coach JJ Redick to adjust rotations in a playoff series. Some observers argue that cutting a minimum-salary player like Bronny James would be easier than shedding Hardy’s $6 M contract, but others contend Hardy’s salary makes him a less attractive trade piece.

Bleacher Report

Sources differ on which player is most likely to be moved. Hollinger emphasizes Bronny James as a potential waiver target, whereas other commentary points to Jaden Hardy as the “odd man out” because of his higher salary and limited trade flexibility. The lack of a clear trade partner for any of the seven trade-eligible players adds further uncertainty.

Newsweek

• “3 million deal for All-Defensive wing Matisse Thybulle on Monday, providing the team with the elite perimeter defender they'd been searching for, and one on a team-friendly, veteran minimum at that.” — Newsweek

Newsweek

• “Thybulle, a two-time All-Defensive team member, spoke with JJ Redick and Luka Doncic about the Lakers' desire to sign him and his role during free agency and chose the opportunity in an effort to beef up the team's wing defense.” — ESPN

ESPN

• “But the Thybulle addition has implications beyond simply the Laker wing rotation.” — CBS Sports

CBS Sports

• “it appears that momentum has stalled” — Dan Woike, The Athletic

Bleacher Report

• “In theory, Thybulle will boost the Lakers' perimeter defense and potentially be a floor-spacing option.” — Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report

The Lakers have until opening night to execute trades or waive a guaranteed contract to meet the 15-player limit. Potential moves include exploring deals involving Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, or Adou Thiero, while monitoring Bronny James’s status as the team evaluates roster flexibility for the 2026-27 campaign.

Newsweek