Lakers trade proposal lands Blazers’ defensive star

The Los Angeles Lakers, after signing Deandre Ayton, are reportedly seeking to reignite trade talks at the Summer League, with Portland Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle identified as a potential target to bolster their defense. Thybulle, earning $11.5 million in the final year of his contract, has been scouted by the Lakers, but Portland's willingness to trade him is uncertain due to their thin wing depth and his potential role in their emerging defensive identity alongside Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, and Deni Avdija.

A proposed trade framework involves the Lakers acquiring Thybulle in exchange for Maxi Kleber, Shake Milton, and an unprotected 2032 second-round pick. Thybulle offers significant value as a younger (28), improved three-point shooter (43.8% on 3.2 attempts per game last season) and elite perimeter defender (averaging 2.2 steals post-return), but his durability is a major concern after he played only 15 games last season due to persistent knee and ankle injuries. Despite his low minutes, Portland's defense improved by over three points per 100 possessions with him on the court.

While Thybulle is seen as more valuable than Kleber, the Lakers are reluctant to overpay. Including promising rookie Dalton Knecht is deemed off-limits for a Thybulle deal. Kleber, though a potential stretch-big for LA, carries his own injury risk (missed 132 games in three years), Milton is expendable as a rotation outsider, and the 2032 pick is considered distant future capital. Portland might push for players like Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent instead to further their defensive build, but the Lakers are unlikely to part with either as key rotation pieces, making Vanderbilt a possible but overpriced alternative. Ultimately, the proposed Kleber-Milton-pick package represents the reasonable limit for LA given Thybulle's injury history and Portland's probable reluctance to trade him amidst their defensive overhaul.