Guerschon Yabusele joining Sixers after breakout performance for France in Paris Olympics
Yabusele agreed to a one-year, $2.1 million contract, sources confirmed, giving the Sixers a power forward who has experience playing for the Boston Celtics and for silver medal-winning France.
The 76ers are filling a position of need.
French power forward Guerschon Yabusele agreed to a one-year, $2.1 million minimum salary contract with the Sixers, sources confirmed Sunday. This came after the 6-foot-8, 271-pounder helped to lead his national team to a silver medal in the Paris Olympics.
Yabusele, nicknamed the “Dancing Bear,” is a low-risk addition for a Sixers team that only had one power forward — KJ Martin — on the roster.
The 28-year-old resolved his $2.5 million contract buyout with Spanish team Real Madrid of Liga ACB and EuroLeague to set up his NBA return.
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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 73 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.
He averaged 9.8 points while shooting 43% from three-point range this past season in Spain.
Yabusele averaged 19.6 points in France’s three games against Canada, Germany, and Team USA in the medal round.
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The Sixers have positioned themselves to become a serious NBA championship contender this offseason.
Their most significant move came when Paul George signed a four-year, $212 million contract to form a big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. But signing Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson along with re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry, and Maxey, has catapulted the Sixers as a major threat to dethrone the reigning NBA champion Celtics.