The Philadelphia 76ers have been holding out hope that Guerschon Yabusele would somehow be available to return to the team despite also needing to retain Quentin Grimes. Unfortunately for the Sixers, it is being reported that Yabusele has agreed to a new contract with the New York Knicks. This new contract with the Knicks is worth $12 million over two years.
Yabusele joined the 76ers after spending multiple years playing internationally. He hadn’t played in the NBA since the 201.8-2019 season but continued to work on his game. After his strong showing with the French Olympic Team in the 2024 Summer Olympics that resulted in a silver medal and dunking on LeBron James, Yabusele signed a minimum, one-year prove-it contract with the Sixers to start his NBA comeback.
In his first season back in the NBA, Yabusele showed off just how talented he is. The forward appeared in 70 games for the often shorthanded Sixers and played 27.1 minutes per game. In those games, Yabusele put up career-high numbers in nearly every statistical category. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per night on 50.1% shooting from the field. He shot 38.0% from three on nearly four three-point attempts per game, showing a newfound three-point shot that made him lethal on the court.
While it sad to see Yabusele go, it’s hard not to be happy for the forward who was once forgotten by the NBA. The Sixers, who would have absolutely preferred to see Yabusele suit up for them next season, watched him walk. While it is unclear if the Sixers had offered the full non-taxpayer MLE in order to retain Yabusele, ultimately, the Knicks gave Yabu a deal worth the same amount that the Sixers could have offered.
Now all attention for the Sixers turns to breakout guard Quentin Grimes, who is a restricted free agent this offseason. Despite Yabusele’s departure, the Sixers still got to play a key part in helping to revive an NBA career. The addition of Trendon Watford should mitigate the loss to a certain point. This also means that the Sixers can afford to utilize their mid-level exception elsewhere should they want.
