The Philadelphia 76ers have, at long last, made what will likely be their final roster move of the offseason, agreeing to a one-year deal with forward Guerschon Yabusele, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Yabusele’s one-year deal will be for the veteran’s minimum, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It’s an interesting deal that he struck with Philadelphia as Yabusele had a $2.5 million buyout with his team in Europe, Real Madrid. As Woj points out, Yabusele’s deal is only worth $2.1 million, and the Sixers could only contribute $890,000 towards that buyout, according to Shams Charania.
That leaves Yabusele with effectively half a million dollars for this contract with Philadelphia. Plenty for most, but far less than even the minimum NBA contract. This speaks to Yabusele’s desire to re-establish himself in the NBA.
After averaging 14 points per game and helping to lead France to a silver medal in the 2024 Olympic Games, Yabusele has earned another opportunity in the NBA.
Previously playing for the Boston Celtics from 2017-19, Yabusele averaged just 2.3 points and 1. 4 rebounds in 74 career games. He has spent the past five years playing internationally, including the last three with Real Madrid, playing domestically in the Liga ACB and internationally in the EuroLeague.
Yabusele won two Liga ACB titles and one EuroLeague title with Real Madrid in that time.
While it’s unlikely that he will play significant minutes for the Sixers this upcoming season, Guerschon Yabusele provides an added sense of toughness, grit, and tenacity that arguably is lacking for the most part on this roster, especially at his more natural power forward size of six feet eight inches tall with a seven-foot-one-inch wingspan.
The Sixers have an immense amount of talent on this season’s roster, but one consistent question mark has been the team’s size. Their starting lineup features an undersized point guard and three wings in addition to Joel Embiid. Their bench has but one true power forward, KJ Martin, who is also undersized for the position.
Guerschon Yabusele has a true chance to make this team and carve out a niche role for himself. The battle between Yabusele and Martin will be interesting as training camp and the season approaches.
As for what Yabusele could provide on the court, his toughness is matched by a strong ability to finish and a willingness as a passer. While he won’t be considered much of a three-and-D threat, he can stretch the floor and keep defenders honest.
Alongside the French National team, Yabusele served as a quality support player alongside Victor Wembanyama, perhaps the closest current comparison for Joel Embiid, though they are truly unique in their own rights. That type of experience should allow him to share minutes with Embiid, while his comparative passing and fringe shooting ability should enable him to share the court with Andre Drummond.
As mentioned earlier, this will likely be the 76ers’ final roster move of the offseason, barring a change in the status of their two-way contracts. The Sixers’ president of basketball operations said earlier this offseason that the Team would probably leave a roster spot open heading into the season, and with this latest signing, the Sixers now have 14 standard contracts.
