THE The Philadelphia 76ers are one step closer to signing French silver medalist Guerschon Yabusele.
Last week, it was revealed that the veteran forward was set to make his NBA return after a standout performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While several teams have expressed interest, the Sixers are expected to be the team to secure Yabusele’s services for next year.
However, the Sixers have yet to make the signing official. With Guerschon Yabusele under contract with Real Madrid at the time of the announced deal, he was expected to work on a buyout in order to sign in the NBA.
Yabusele’s departure from Real Madrid appears to be official. The forward took to Instagram on Thursday to send a message to Real Madrid and their fans.
“First of all, I want to thank God for all the blessings he has given me during this extraordinary journey. As I write these lines, I am very emotional. I joined Real Madrid in 2021 at a pivotal moment in my life, with the aim of advancing my career. From the moment I arrived, Real Madrid did everything to make my family and I feel at home, and I am very grateful for that. I was very quickly impressed by the organization, one of the greatest in the world, with which I was lucky enough to win seven trophies. In three years, despite the ups and downs, I was able to grow as a man, learn from the best and become a better athlete. Thank you to the club. To all the staff. To my teammates and the fans for these three unforgettable years forever engraved in my heart.”
The Sixers are expected to sign Yabusele for the veteran minimum salary for the 2024-25 NBA season. According to Spotrac, he is expected to make just over $2 million for the year.
According to multiple reports, Yabusele’s initial buyout was over $2 million. While it was expected that he would get financial help from the Sixers to close the deal, they were only able to offer a flat fee, less than $1 million.
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A season with the Sixers would be a great opportunity for the former 16th overall pick. While Yabusele has NBA experience, having played 74 games with the Boston Celtics from 2017-19, he played in multiple leagues after being released by Boston in 2019.
Perhaps a stellar Olympic run coupled with a decent performance as a backup in Philadelphia could be just what the 28-year-old needs to stay in the Association.
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