The Boston Celtics have agreed to select University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle on behalf of the Philadelphia 76ers, who will send the 24th and 33rd overall picks in the 2019 NBA Draft to the Celtics, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Thybulle, a hard-nosed defender in the mold of Marcus Smart, was a popular pick for many Boston fans who hoped to see him in green and white. Nonetheless, the prospect of picking up a second pick while only moving back four picks in the first round was a deal that Celtics president Danny Ainge couldn’t pass up in a draft that’s predicted to have many worthwhile talents going well into the second round.
The Sixers will be getting the Huskies’ all-time steal and block leader who also happens to have a tight three-point shot. 6-foot-5-inches with a 7-foot wingspan, Thybulle averaged 9.1 points, 3.1 boards, 3.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game in his time with Washington and should help shore up the Boston’s notoriously thin bench.
The Celtics will have another crack at a quality player in this draft, perhaps to package in a trade for an impact player, either in the coming weeks, or perhaps in the more distant future.
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