Sixers trade Matisse Thybulle to Portland Trail Blazers in four-team deal, acquire Charlotte Hornets’ Jalen McDaniels

The Matisse Thybulle era is over in Philly.

On Thursday, the 76ers agreed to part ways with the two-time, second-team All-Defensive selection in a four-team trade, landing a player they think can help them contend for an NBA title.

The Sixers traded Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers and acquired Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels and draft picks in return. In addition to McDaniels, the Sixers will receive the New York Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick and the Blazers’ 2029 second-rounder. The Blazers will in turn send the Knicks’ Svi Mykhailiuk to the Hornets. Meanwhile, the Hornets will receive the rights to the more favorable 2023 second-rounder involving the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte, and Brooklyn Nets from the Sixers.

The teams agreed to the deal before the 3 p.m. trade deadline.

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This move also enabled the Sixers to eliminate salary and get below the luxury tax threshold.

With Thybulle ($4.37 million), the Sixers roster had $151.4 million in salary, according to Spotrac. They needed to shed $1.1 million to get below the league’s $150.3 million threshold. With McDaniels ($1.93 million), the Sixers are at $148.5 million in salary. Now the Sixers, who have an available roster post, can add a desired backup center in the buyout market.

The Sixers were in search of a wing and backup center to improve their roster and prepare for a deep postseason run.

But while his value had dropped recently, Thybulle remained the best asset with which the Sixers were willing to part ways. And based on his role, there was no guarantee that he would get postseason minutes for the Sixers.

So this was a solid move for the Sixers and Trail Blazers. The Sixers got help at a position they coveted while the Blazers picked up a lockdown defender.

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Thybulle is averaging career lows in points (2.7), rebounds (1.3), assists (0.5), steals (0.9), blocks (0.3), and minutes played (12.1). The fourth-year veteran’s numbers should improve as he fits into Portland coach Chauncey Billups’ defensive plan.

Thybulle is also a close longtime friend of the Blazers’ perennial All-Star point guard Damian Lillard. The two spent last summer working out with renowned shooting coach Phil Beckner in Phoenix, among other cities.

The Sixers came close to trading Thybulle to the Dallas Mavericks, according to sources. One source said that deal was 95% complete. The only holdup was the Sixers’ insistence on receiving a first-round pick as part of the package for Thybulle. So, after the Mavs finally balked, the Sixers turned their attention to finalizing a deal with Charlotte.

Furkan Korkmaz, whose name was also involved in negotiations, remained on the roster past the trade deadline. The Sixers guard had requested to be moved, according to sources. Sources said Daryl Morey, the team president of basketball operations, planned to package him in a deal.

As for McDaniels, 25, the wing fills one of the Sixers’ needs. The fourth-year player is averaging career highs in points (10.6), steals (1.2), and minutes (26.7) this season. McDaniels, the older brother of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, is a promising three-and-D addition.

McDaniels is not on Thybulle’s level defensively, but his ability to knock down shots makes him a better all-around player. He can play in transition and opponents have to account for him offensively. At just 185 pounds, McDaniels has a slender frame and can get overpowered by bigger wings. But he’s a solid young prospect.

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Before his NBA career, McDaniels’ career was in jeopardy because of an off-the-court transgression as a minor.

In 2019, McDaniels was sued by two female high school classmates who claimed he recorded them performing sexual acts without their consent. No criminal charges were filed and he “sincerely apologized [to both women] for his conduct.”

The incident occurred in 2016 when McDaniels was 17. The Hornets said they did their due diligence before selecting him with the 52nd pick in the 2019 draft out of San Diego State.