76ers trade Matisse Thybulle to Trail Blazers in three-team trade at deadline, acquire Jalen McDaniels from Hornets
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Another trade deadline has come and gone, and the 76ers made one move in 2023.
The Sixers have traded two-time All-Defensive player Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers and acquire Charlotte Hornets wing Jalen McDaniels and multiple second-round picks as part of a three-team deal.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report was the first to report Thybulle heading on to Portland, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski informed of the Sixers’ addition of McDaniels, and Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice was first on the picks.
Thybulle, 25, was acquired during the 2019 draft in a trade with the Boston Celtics. He had one wild run in Philadelphia. His defensive impact was obvious from his rookie season, but his offensive deficiencies condemned him, especially during postseason runs. Thybulle has made the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team the two seasons. He is extremely efficient at stealing the ball and blocking the ball. Thybulle’s 2.7 steals per 36 minutes this season lead the league, per Basketball Reference.
McDaniels, 25, is a 6-foot-9 forward that should add size, length, and athleticism to the Sixers’ bench. The Hornets drafted him 52nd overall in 2019 after two college seasons at San Diego State. He will be a free agent following this season. McDaniels has played every game this season for the 15-41 Hornets and has averaged a career-best 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He has shot a career-low 32.2% from three-point range on 3.6 attempts per contest. McDaniels is also a worse defender than Thybulle.
It also needs to be mentioned and acknowledged that McDaniels admitted to “using his phone to film [two women] performing intimate acts without their permission and sharing the video with friends” while in high school. While there were no criminal charges, McDaniels did confess to doing so after the two victims filed a civil suit against him.
More per The San Diego Union Tribune:
But King County Superior Court compelled him to address the women’s accusations line by line, and earlier this week he admitted in court documents that he recorded both alleged videos, shared them with “a small group of friends,” deleted them “shortly thereafter” and has “sincerely apologized (to both women) for the conduct.”
It is a shame losing Thybulle, who was starting to improve his three-point shooting, for McDaniels, who is shooting his three-ball at a career low.
Was this a somewhat disappointing trade deadline for Sixers president of basketball operation Daryl Morey? In my opinion, yes. However, the buy-out market still exists. The Sixers should be active there. They are still in need of a backup big, so expect the Sixers to be active there this week.
