February 8 is the NBA’s Trade Deadline, and the Milwaukee Bucks are expected to be buyers.
With the current needs of the roster being defense, defense, and more defense, several candidates have come up as potential trade targets to come to Milwaukee.
With names like Dejounte Murray being linked to Milwaukee, the team will look to make a splash.
Other names that have been linked include Alex Caruso, PJ Tucker, and Matisse Thybulle. There’s no shortage of players Milwaukee could look to acquire ahead or at the deadline.
Let’s go back to that final name for a second because with Doc Rivers being named the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Thybulle didn’t have the best relationship with his former coach, which could take Milwaukee out of the Matisse Thybulle sweepstakes.
The chances of Matisse Thybulle joining the Milwaukee Bucks diminished significantly after the Doc Rivers hiring.
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the NBA world by firing head coach Adrian Griffin after 43 games. The team named former Marquette standout Doc Rivers as the new head coach. Rivers called games for ESPN/ABC for their basketball coverage alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke.
Rivers is known for being a fantastic regular-season coach and an excellent motivator. However, despite his coaching accomplishments, not everyone saw eye-to-eye with the HOF coach.
Enter Matisse Thybulle known as an excellent defender in his own right, but he might avoid a reunion with Rivers for this this reason.
Blazers insider thinks Matisse Thybulle would veto any trade to Bucks, citing Doc Rivers as factor: https://t.co/nA0NNsNlyN
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 24, 2024
According to Blazers insider Jake Simpson, here’s one reason why Thybulle wouldn’t welcome a reunion with his former coach.
“During Thybulle’s stint with the Philadelphia 76ers, he sometimes got incosistent playing time at the hands of Rivers, who was Philly’s head coach for a good chunk of Thybulle’s run there.”
“The wing may want to avoid a reunion with Rivers, even if it means turning down an opprtunity to join a contending team like the Bucks. Of course that’s far from a sure thing, but it may be a possibility worth keeping in mind.”
The only drawback to adding Thybulle is that he’s a non-threat offensively. On the season, Thybulle is only averaging 5.6 points. Milwaukee has shifted their trade targets the past couple of years to defense-heavy players, Thybulle could be a good option coming off the bench, being paired with Jae Crowder and Andre Jackson Jr.
Names like Caruso and Murray are exceptional offensive players and would help the Milwaukee Bucks on the offensive end, but if they wanted to shade more towards defense-first players, names like Thybulle and Pelicans F Herb Jones should be named the team targets at the trade deadline.
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