As soon as it became apparent that the Philadelphia 76ers were not contenders, they started preparing for the offseason. The Sixers had a player who was actively breaking out at the power forward position and quickly became a mainstay in the rotation.
Of course, I am speaking of none other than the great Guerschon Yabusele. Yabusele signed with the Sixers after a highly successful Olympic run for France en route to a silver medal and has become one of the most consistent and important players on the team in a season marred by injury and disappointment.
On one hand, the Sixers organization clearly wants to retain Guerschon. The 6’8″ power forward has made a major NBA comeback and is averaging career highs in practically every single statistical category. 10.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a night for a guy who hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2018-2019 season is exceptional. Add in that he’s also shooting 49.7% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc, and it makes sense that the Sixers want to keep him in Sixers colors.
At the trade deadline, despite tons of reports about Yabusele generating interest around the league, the Sixers refused to part with him. Team President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey even said that the organization “feel very good about retaining Yabu” when discussing the offseason implications of retaining the soon-to-be unrestricted Yabusele.
The idea was that if the Sixers successfully ducked the NBA’s luxury tax, they could offer a far more competitive deal to Yabusele in free agency with the non-taxpayers mid-level exception. However, the move made to free up the money for Yabusele may end up being what forces the Sixers to change their off-season game plan.
At the trade deadline, the Sixers sent out veteran forward Caleb Martin, who had just signed a 4-year, $35 million deal in the last offseason to the Dallas Mavericks, along with an amended second-round pick, in exchange for the Sixers second-round pick and a soon to be restricted free agent guard Quentin Grimes.
At the time, Martin was injured but provided a playoff veteran to a team that desperately wanted to win. Grimes averaged 10.2 points on 39.8% shooting from deep but was due for a pay raise given his restricted free agency. Still, this was seen as a win for the Sixers, given Grimes’s prototypical 3-and-D play and fit next to cornerstone Tyrese Maxey.
Sending out Martin opened the door for the Sixers to utilize a non-taxpayer mid-level exception for Yabusele, projected to be worth around $14 million a year. This would tie the team’s hands in terms of going into the luxury tax, leaving roughly $16 million in room for the Sixers to retain both Quentin Grimes and fan favorite Kelly Oubre Jr., who holds a player option at $8.3 million.
Should Oubre Jr. decline his option, the Sixers would be able to offer that $16 million to Grimes. With Grimes being a restricted free agent, they would have the right to match any contract he received in free agency, which could have been right around that $16 million mark. That all changed when Quentin Grimes elevated his play to a level no one saw coming.
In Grimes’ first 17 games with the Sixers, he may have proven himself worthy of a massive payday. The former Houston guard has exploded since coming to the Sixers, announcing himself as one of the best players to get moved at the trade deadline. He is currently averaging 21.4 points a night on an insane 51.0% from the field and 39.3% from three.
Grimes is also showing off the rest of his game at the same time, grabbing 5.5 rebounds, dishing out 3.8 assists, and grabbing 1.5 steals a night. along with being the fastest Sixer to have multiple 40+ point games, Grimes is now tied for second on the Sixers for most 30+ point games this season with 5, despite only being here for just over a month.
While Guerschon Yabusele has been a shining beacon of hope for the Sixers this year, he may have to look elsewhere for his much-deserved next contract. The Sixers’ main priority should be to match any deal that Grimes gets on the open market and let the pieces fall into place afterward.
While he may not spend next season averaging 20+ points on 50% shooting from three, he has proven himself. At only 24 years old, Grimes has shown his potential and certainly deserves to get paid some serious money come free agency
If the Sixers still find a way to retain Guerschon Yabusele, it would be even better. But Sixers fans should prepare for the possibility that the beloved Guerschon Yabusele may be suiting up for a different team come next season.
