Sixers’ Matisse Thybulle vows offseason extension talks won’t affect his play: ‘It’s not my negotiations’

BOSTON — Matisse Thybulle has been as good as advertised as a defensive specialist over the course of his career, showing the ability to shut down the NBA’s elite scorers.

With two second-team All-Defensive selections on his resumé, the guard appeared to be in line to receive a nice contract after his fourth season.

But Monday’s deadline passed without the Sixers giving him a rookie-scale contract extension.

“It’s not my negotiations,” he told The Inquirer on Tuesday, before the season opener against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. “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.”

Without an extension, Thybulle will become a restricted free agent on June 30. He can sign an offer sheet beginning on July 6 with any team. However, the Sixers can retain him by matching the terms of that offer.

He was eligible to receive a maximum extension of five years and $188 million.

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It’s not surprising that the Sixers and Thybulle’s representatives were unable to agree on an extension after brief discussions.

During his time in Houston, Daryl Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, was known not to extend certain rookie-scale contracts. He would often let the restricted free-agent market determine their value, then the Rockets would decide if they wanted to match the offer sheet.

Thybulle is determined to not allow his uncertain future impact his performance.

“It’s very much out of my control,” he said, “and trying to learn how to accept things I cannot change and just worry about the thing I can is just part of the process.”

Thybulle was fourth in the league in steals with 1.7 per game last season. He also averaged 1.1 blocks. And he worked on his offensive game this offseason.

The Sixers acquired him in the 2019 draft out of the University of Washington to be a three-and-D reserve.

At this point of his career, family is the best part of playing in Boston for Georges Niang.

“I’m excited to have my family who supported me since I was a little kid [at the game],” said Niang, 29, a Lawrence, Mass., native. “They took me to Celtics games. So the fact that they can watch me out on the court is something that’s special.

“So I cherish every moment of that. The fact that I can have the people that have supported me since I started playing come and watch me, I think that’s extremely important.”

Niang, who was a New England-area high school teammate of former Sixer Nerlens Noel, had 20 tickets for the game. Tuesday marked his 10th game against his hometown team.

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This game was also a homecoming of sorts for Doc Rivers and assistant coaches Sam Cassell and Jamie Young.

Rivers compiled a 416-305 regular-season record along with leading the Celtics to the 2008 NBA title during his nine seasons coaching the Celtics. Cassell played on Boston’s 2008 title team, while Young was a longtime Celtics assistant coach.