August 18, 2024
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
Team France star Guerschon Yabusele appears headed to Philadelphia.
UPDATE [12:35 p.m.] – The Sixers have a deal with Yabusele for the one-year, $2.1 million league minimum, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
France's Olympic standout is coming to Philly.
Free agent F Guerschon Yabusele has agreed on a one-year, $2.1 million minimum deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Yabusele is rejoining the NBA’s Eastern Conference after leaving the Boston Celtics for Real Madrid in 2019. pic.twitter.com/imZ6yfYYMe
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 18, 2024
EARLIER...
The Sixers have long planned to sign one more player to a standard NBA contract, and according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, that player will be French forward Guerschon Yabusele.
Just In: France’s Guerschon Yabusele is in serious talks on a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Yabusele is resolving his $2.5 million contract buyout with Real Madrid as he nears NBA return. pic.twitter.com/TRkVDfnLX5
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 18, 2024
A former first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 2016, Yabusele failed to catch on in the NBA after two seasons. He went overseas and has since become a key contributor for Real Madrid. Yabusele, 28, has consistently indicated that he is interested in returning to the NBA, and now he is receiving that chance after shining during the 2024 Olympic Games for Team France.
Yasubele's role grew as Olympic play went on, culminating in a dominant run over the course of France's final three games. Between the quarter-final, semi-final and final games, Yabusele totaled 59 points (19.6 points per game) on 52.7 percent shooting from the field.
GUERSCHON YABUSELE ON LEBRON JAMES. 😳
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
📺 NBC and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/cjrH6Q9Epd
His transformation from NBA outcast to someone viewed as a viable candidate to play for a team with ambitions as high as those of the Sixers stem from much-improved mobility that enables him to become a more versatile defensive player with his impressive strength and a three-point shooting stroke that has made enough strides in recent years to turn him into a viable long-range marksman.
If the team does agree to a deal with Yabusele after he agrees to a buyout with Real Madrid, they will have 14 players on standard NBA deals. The team will likely stop there, leaving a roster spot open entering the season to maximize flexibility and optionality down the road.
The team's largest perceived hole is at the power forward position, particularly when it comes to adding muscle and toughness. Right now, Ricky Council IV and KJ Martin are the two primary contenders to log minutes at the four off the bench, but Yabusele figures to be prevalent in that discussion should he join the Sixers.
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