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You might be excused if you thought Tuesday evening was the biggest night on the Philadelphia 76ers‘ schedule this week. Yes, the team opened the regular season Tuesday against the Boston Celtics. But Monday night served as another major Sixers milestone for the season.
That’s because the Sixers had until 6:00 pm Monday night to reach a contract extension with Matisse Thybulle. Thybulle’s rookie deal is up at the end of the season, and since the player and club failed to agree to terms on a new deal, he’ll become a restricted free agent next summer.
And ahead of Tuesday’s game against Boston, Thybulle opened up about the failed negotiations for the first time.
“It’s not my negotiations,” Thybulle said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “So I trust my agents. If it wasn’t the right time, then I trust that it will be when we get to the next offseason.”
It’s not the first time this summer that Thybulle opened up to Pompey about his future in Philadelphia. Several weeks ago, Thybulle discussed his hopes on an extension.
Thybulle ‘Would Always Want To Stay In Philly’
Ahead of training camp a few weeks ago, Thybulle elaborated on his goals ahead of next season, including his desire to be a Philly-lifer.
“‘At this point, I would always want to stay in Philly,’ [Thybulle] said. ‘And if it’s up to me, that’s always going to be my choice,’” Pompey wrote on September 25.
“But considering that I’ve realized the reality of how far out of my control it is, if I do get traded or something does end up happening, I can look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day.”
Because of his contract situation, Thybulle faces a real make-or-break season. That’s not limited to his future in Philadelphia but extends to his future in the NBA. He won’t find himself out of the league anytime soon, but he must show more than just sterling defense.
Thybulle also won’t get the benefit of being the Sixers’ best bench player this season. Can he still carve out a role with the additions of Montrezl Harrell, De’Anthony Melton, Danuel House, and PJ Tucker?
The early returns on Tuesday evening suggest the answer is no.
Thybulle Exiled to Bench in Sixers Regular Season Debut
On Tuesday night, Thybulle played in just 1.2 seconds of regulation in a quite literally “blink and you will miss him” performance. What’s even worse? The Celtics absolutely cooked Philadelphia’s defense, with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combining for an absurd 70 points.
Last season, Thybulle would have been a no-brainer inclusion to stem some of the perimeter threat brought on by Brown and Tatum. On Tuesday, he was relegated to bench hype-man during the Celtics’ big runs. If he’s not being used against the Celtics now, why would he come playoff time, when the C’s and Sixers could meet?
Thybulle’s benching also speaks to the utter lack of trust that the coaching staff has in Thybulle at the moment. Despite coming into the preseason bragging about his improved shooting, Thybulle largely failed to deliver across the four tune-up games.
If Thybulle isn’t part of the picture, the Sixers won’t let him walk for free. Rather than keep a seat warm on the bench, Sixers boss Daryl Morey would almost certainly look to replace Thybulle with a player that can help the team win now.
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