For all the summer spending the Los Angeles Lakers did in 2026, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams make up a very small drop in the bucket. Both were secured on one-year, minimum deals. Both have started all three games amid the 3-0 beginning to the 2026-27 campaign.
Rob Pelinka has not always proven capable of winning his roster gambles when it comes to these minimum contract deals. Unfortunately for him, getting the little stuff like that right is a big part of building a championship-level team as a lead front office decision-maker in the NBA.
Better late than never. If Thybulle and Williams can both keep up their encouraging starts to the season, perhaps it will be a clear sign of Pelinka turning the corner in this department. At the very least, you will take the offseason steals where you can get them.
Matisse Thybulle is exceeding expectations as a Lakers starter
Many, myself included, had Quentin Grimes mentally penciled in for a starting spot in Los Angeles throughout the summer. Instead, through three games, JJ Redick has given that nod to Thybulle. Thus far, it is working out.
The Lakers are being just careful enough with Thybulle's minutes, keeping him at 24.3 per game in the first three games of the season. During that playing time, Matisse has been an impactful two-way contributor.
The offense has always been the more questionable part of Thybulle's fit anywhere. There was certainly a fair bit left to the imagination after his modest outing in the season opener against the Golden State Warriors. What has followed that has been two double-digit outings.
There has been a willingness for Thybulle to let his shots fly, at the very least. In the last two games, that has included steady deliverables of 13 points (inlcuding three 3-pointers) against the Los Angeles Clippers, and 11 points against the Utah Jazz (also including three triples).
When Thybulle is not scoring, there is still a lot of value in the disruption and defensive playmaking he brings. That has included 2.0 steals per game to start the year. The floor with Matisse will always be him bringing impact on at least one end of the court. If he can string together a full campaign of steady offense to boot, the Lakers will have made out like gangbusters in this acquisition.
Ziaire Williams is validating the offseason hype in the early stages
There were plenty who were hopeful of what Williams could bring to Los Angeles. So far, so good.
The most impressive part of Ziaire's time with the Lakers so far has been his ability to bring all the effort they could ask for out of a role player on the defensive end, and not needlessly overextend himself on offense. Williams has been an unsung hero for Los Angeles in that regard thus far.
It can be tough to get a read on a player when they are playing for a tanking team, particularly when it comes to their tendencies. Williams had some concerned with his habit of forcing offense during his time with the Brooklyn Nets. That has yet to show up for the Lakers.
Ziaire was expected by many to fill the vacant forward spot that Jonathan Kuminga bypassed during the summer. It was established pretty quickly in the preseason that would be the case. Williams is rewarding the organization's belief in him on all fronts in the early goings of the 2026-27 season.
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