The Lakers’ reshaped roster is already showing up in NBA 2K27, and two of their newest defensive pieces have landed among the game’s best at what they do.
With the game set to release on Sept. 4, the latest reveal is another reminder of how much Los Angeles has changed ahead of the 2026-27 season. Luka Doncic is the lone Lakers player expected to stand out in the overall ratings at 95, but the team’s new-look defense is getting plenty of attention of its own.
Matisse Thybulle is the headliner on that side of the ball. The defensive-minded veteran, who arrived after most of the Lakers’ free-agent work was already done, posted a 98 rating for steals in NBA 2K27. That puts him at the top of the chart alongside Ausar Thompson, Cason Wallace and Dyson Daniels.
For a Lakers team that lost Marcus Smart to the Houston Rockets, Thybulle gives them a different kind of disruptive presence on the perimeter. If he brings the same kind of nuisance factor he’s known for in real life, he could end up being one of the most important additions Los Angeles made this offseason.
The Lakers also fortified the paint by bringing in Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz. Kessler showed up on another Top 10 list in the game, earning a 93 rating as one of the best shot blockers.
Taken together, Thybulle and Kessler give JJ Redick’s group two players who could shape the identity of the defense from the backcourt to the rim. That’s the kind of upgrade Los Angeles is clearly banking on as it heads into the new campaign.
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