The Philadelphia 76ers are nearing a deal to sign star French forward Guerschon Yabusele.
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The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on the news via Twitter/X.
Yabusele is coming off an impressive performance throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he helped lead his home country to the Gold medal game against Team USA.
The 28-year-old will get another crack at the NBA and help lead the Philadelphia 76ers to new heights this upcoming season.
According to Charania, the 76ers are interested in signing the French forward after his impressive display of basketball throughout the Olympic tournament. Yabusele averaged 14 points per game at the 2024 Games in Paris, including this impressive dunk over NBA superstar LeBron James.
In order for the deal to go through, Yabusele is resolving his $2.5 million contract buyout with Real Madrid as he works his way back to the NBA. Per league rules, the 76ers must pay a maximum of $850,000 to resolve a buyout with Real Madrid.
A recent report by The Athletic’s John Hollinger suggested that he was unlikely to return to the NBA this season, and his chances next offseason were greater. However, that has flown out the window.
Yabusele is 6-foot-8 and weighs 275 pounds. The Boston Celtics took a chance on him and selected him in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft with the No. 16 overall pick. However, he chose to continue his professional career in China until he eventually joined the Celtics in the summer of 2017.
The 28-year-old received multiple assignments to the Celtics G League affiliate, and they ultimately waived him in 2019. Although he has not been successful in the States, he’s quite the player internationally. Yabusele has been a CBA All-Star and has won a EuroLeague championship. He’s also a two-time Liga ACB champion, a French Cup winner, an LNB Pro A champion, and a two-time silver medalist in the Summer Olympics.
Regarding how Yabusele would perform in the NBA now, he would be a seamless fit, especially with the 76ers. His height and offensive and defensive ability make him the perfect player for today’s NBA. The 76ers also need a stretch four on the team, and he fits that bill, as he shot 44.5 percent from three last season with Real Madrid.
The 76ers and Real Madrid still need to work out a buyout deal to give Yabusele another shot in the NBA. The two sides could negotiate a lower number to make it more manageable. If they cannot, Yabusele would be looking at owning $1.67 million while only making $2.1 million this upcoming season.
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