Guerschon Yabusele was a standout performer during the 2024 Paris Olympics. He helped France secure a silver medal following their loss to the United States on Aug. 10. The veteran forward played in six games for the home nation, averaging 14 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Yabusele is heading back to the NBA for the first time since 2019. The Philadelphia 76ers have completed a veteran minimum with the multi-talented forward.
In Sunday’s edition of Marc Stein’s “The SteinLine” newsletter, it was revealed that Yabusele’s current contract with Real Madrid includes a $2.5M buyout clause. In order for the deal to have gone through, both Yabusele and Real Madrid would have negotiated his exit and the remaining $1.6M of his buyout clause. As Shams Charania of The Athletic reported, the Sixers were limited to a maximum of $850K in compensation due to NBA rules.
The Sixers were short on depth at the forward position. Yabusele’s experience in multiple top European leagues, and his previous time in the NBA, should allow him to be a high-level depth piece on Nick Nurse’s team. He will likely play a backup role behind Paul George.
Despite his struggles from the perimeter in the Olympics, Yabusele has also proven himself to be a reliable spot-up shooter during his time in Europe. Last season, he averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game in the EuroLeague for Real Madrid, shooting 48.1% from three-point range. He also played in 24 Liga ACB games, averaging 9.3 points and three rebounds while knocking down 39.4% of his perimeter shots.
The Sixers are getting a reliable veteran with high-level experience from multiple top leagues around the world. Adding him to the roster is another win for Daryl Morey and another reason why the Sixers have enjoyed arguably the best summer of all 30 NBA teams.