It’s been a busy offseason for Daryl Morey and the Sixers.
The team did the heavy lifting early in free agency, bringing in star winger Paul George. They even got the best player in the second wave of free agency, surprisingly bringing in Caleb Martin.
But earlier this week, they took an interesting turn by agreeing to terms with French forward Guerschon Yabusele. Yabusele had an impressive run for the host nation at the Paris Olympics, helping the French win a silver medal and earn second-team honors. The 28-year-old hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019 with the The Celtsthe team that selected him 16th overall in 2016.
At 6’4″ and 260 pounds in his last NBA appearance, Yabusele has the ideal power forward build, much like the Hornets’ Grant Williams.
Yahoo’s Jake Fischer used Williams as his ideal comparison for Yabusele, asking NBA talent evaluators how the two big forwards compare:
” At first [of the Olympics] People were saying, “Grant Williams is way better than that guy!” But as the gold medal game approached, a lot of people, [some] NBA talent evaluators were saying… they’d take him over Grant Williams right now, which is pretty fascinating considering he signed for just $2.1 million, the veteran minimum, with Philly.
(As always, you should Discover the entire No Cap Space podwith Fischer and Dan Devine.)
After his run in Paris, it was clear that Yabusele was interested in another opportunity in the NBA. His contract with real Madrid Things were a bit complicated by a $2.5 million buyout from the NBA. According to Fischer, Yabusele is still working with his soon-to-be former club to figure out a solution, but people around the Sixers felt signing him for the league minimum was “too good a deal to pass up.”
It seems the Sixers view him as more than just a typical late-August/14th man signing.
“Is there a world where he could be in Philly’s final lineup in some games if everything goes according to plan at the Olympics? I don’t think it’s that crazy.”
If we use Williams as a comparison, it’s intriguing. There’s baggage there for a player who was traded by both teams that reached the Finals. NBA Finals this season. Still, at his peak, Williams can provide a starter-level player with toughness and versatility. With Yabusele, the Sixers might be able to get similar production for a fraction of the cost — and perhaps less baggage.
Like Williams, Yabusele’s ability to shoot from three-point range will be crucial. While he wasn’t particularly good at the Olympics, he was efficient from three-point range during his time with Real Madrid. Last season, he shot 44.5 percent from three in 64 games. The three-point line is shorter and the stakes will be different, but it’s still encouraging.
Devine’s other big question: How will Yabusele hold up defensively?
“The swing skills for him – and this is similar to the Grant Williams comparison – [are] “How mobile are you defensively? How versatile can you be on defense? You’re not only using your size to anchor the post, but also your shifts on the perimeter – which is something he was pretty good at for France at the Olympics.”
Looking more closely at the Sixers’ roster, it was easy to spot a hole at the fourth position. While this author believes those concerns are a bit overblown in the modern NBA, it makes sense to add a player who can be used as a true fourth in some matchups. This should take pressure off players like George and Martin, allowing them to play more on the perimeter.
An interesting idea has been floated: using Yabusele as a small five. He certainly has the strength and physical mindset to do it.
Fischer has entertained the idea of Yabusele filling a “big utility backup” role like veteran Larry Nance, Jr. Devine, acknowledging the pain of Sixers fans watching Joel Embiid lose minutes, said Yabusele could be an ideal alternative to a traditional big backup like Andre Drummond.
“If Yabusele can do that, it would be absolutely huge. In Philly’s multi-year, multi-generational saga, the ongoing saga of what you try to do when Joel Embiid is not on the court. Having Andre Drummond as a similar-sized option and then Yabusele as kind of a changeup, it’s pretty interesting.”
The Sixers feel like Yabusele is more than just an insurance player or a deep bench player. They seem to be hoping the “Dancing Bear” can compete for legitimate minutes in the rotation. While there isn’t much on the roster in terms of a traditional four, George and Martin will likely start, and one of them will defend the four. Off the bench, young players like Ricky Council IV and KJ Martin will push the veterans for playing time.
One thing is for sure about Yabusele: he is not afraid of competition. His presence adds even more intrigue to an already intriguing list.
