Guerschon Yabusele is ready to ‘bring the energy’ for the Sixers in his second NBA stint
Intent to showcase his skills and help new teammates, the Sixers power forward also has a set of personal goals he hopes to live up to.
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NASSAU, Bahamas — Guerschon Yabusele wants to fit in with the 76ers.
At the same time, the power forward hopes to showcase his skills and help his new teammates.
“I want everybody to feel comfortable when I am on the court,” he said.
Yabusele also has to consider what the Sixers want from him and apply that. At the moment, they hope the 6-foot-8, 265-pounder can make an impact as a high-energy reserve. That includes making hustle plays, cracking the boards, and knocking down the occasional three-pointer.
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“Yabusele was a great pickup just from when you are looking at the whole roster all summer long,” coach Nick Nurse said, “and you are kind of thinking, where is a need there? And I think there was probably a need at the four spot, and that’s what he is.
“He’s not really a three and he’s not really a five.”
The Sixers probably can get away with playing Yabusele as a small-ball center at times. But as Nurse points out, he’s a traditional power forward that plugs in nicely with the team.
The Sixers’ projected starting lineup consists of point guard Tyrese Maxey, center Joel Embiid and wings Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Caleb Martin. Yabusele and the undersized KJ Martin (6-6) are the lone power forwards on the roster.
“He should get a good chance to impact the rotation,” Nurse said.
The French native signed a one-year, $2.1 million minimum-salary contract with the Sixers after helping lead his national team to a silver medal in the Paris Olympics.
This season will mark his second stint in the NBA.
Yabusele was selected 16th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 draft. Instead of initially joining Boston, he signed a one-year deal with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association.
He then played for the Celtics during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons and averaged 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 6.6 minutes in 74 games with five starts.
Afterward, Yabusele headed back overseas. He spent a season with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association before joining ASVEL of the French LNB Pro A in 2020.
Yabusele signed with Real Madrid in July 2021. He helped lead the team to the 2023 EuroLeague championship, two Liga ACB titles, and three Spanish Super Cup championships. Yabusele averaged 9.8 points while shooting 43% from three-point range this past season in Spain.
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At the Paris Games, he averaged 19.6 points in France’s three games against Canada, Germany, and Team USA in the medal round — and the trajectory of his career changed.
“First of all, try to get to know everybody a little bit more. … Try to build the chemistry, you know?” Yabusele said of his immediate goals. “This is a new team for me and a bunch of new guys. It’s going to be different than the players I was playing with in the summer or in Real Madrid, so everything will be different.”
But he knows the assignment.
“I have to bring the energy,” Yabusele said.