While his raw rebounding numbers might not be enough to appease the Sixers fan masses, he’s averaged over one offensive rebound per game with Real Madrid which illustrates his ability to come up with loose balls. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Yabusele’s development is his three ball. He didn’t shoot it well during the Olympics, but he’s seen marked improvement in that department the last four seasons. In 2023-24, he hit 44.5% of his threes on 2.7 attempts per game.
It’s also worth noting that he had success with the French national team which features Wembanyama and four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. That experience could come in handy playing next to a big like Joel Embiid.
At this point of free agency, there’s not much out there. Marcus Morris, Sr. is a Philly native and seemed to have a fan in Nick Nurse last season before he was moved as part of the Buddy Hield trade. Davis Bertans was one of the best shooters in the NBA before a big payday sort of sidewinded his career. Reggie Bullock is a solid, experienced wing that can still shoot it.
Even with dwindling options, that doesn’t mean the Sixers can’t find a player that can make a meaningful impact. Kelly Oubre, Jr. didn’t sign with the Sixers until September of last year. He parlayed his success from 2023-24 into a second contract with the Sixers and a nice pay raise. Could Yabusele represent a similarly depressed asset?
Though his current contract with Real Madrid could muddy things a bit, according to Marc Stein, keep in mind Yabusele is still just 28 years old. That’s the same age Oubre turned last December — in fact, Oubre and Yabusele were born eight days apart. Yabusele’s potential once made him a top-20 pick, just like Oubre. As the 14th guy on the roster looking to earn a spot, Yabusele is awfully intriguing.
And he’s clearly hungry for his next NBA opportunity.
LeBron James was Team USA’s most consistent player, earning the Paris Olympics MVP award for the gold-winning Americans. He did so at 39 years old. Insane stuff.
But there was one blight on the King’s impressive resume. In the gold medal game against France, LeBron attempted to draw a charge but was late getting to his spot. The man who has posterized so many (including Don Cheadle) was the victim this time around.
The perpetrator was French forward Guerschon Yabusele, a power forward built like a tank. Yabusele dropped 20 against the US and was probably the French side’s second-best player behind the utterly freakish Victor Wembanyama. The 28-year-old had a strong tournament, averaging 14.0 points per game on 51.9% shooting from the field. He was named to the All-Second Team for the Paris games, joining a talented crew of NBA players.
Say ... is there a team with an open roster spot that could use a true power forward?
Jokes aside, would it make sense for the Sixers to take a flyer on a player like Yabusele?
It was nearly a decade ago that Yabusele was selected by the Boston Celtics 16th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. After staying overseas for a season with the Shanghai Dongfang Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yabusele joined the Celtics for two underwhelming seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19 (though he did play well in the G League). He returned to China, playing for the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King. He then spent one season playing in France before joining Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid where he’s been the last three seasons.
Yabusele does check a couple big boxes for the Sixers. He is a true power forward, built solidly at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds. But with that size comes some athleticism and skill, likely what earned him the nickname “Dancing Bear.” Yabusele can do a bit of everything — dribble, pass, shoot, defend, rebound. He’s tough, physical, and not afraid to do the dirty work as he demonstrated for France.
Gerschon Yabusele was originally drafted by the Celtics in 2016. He's hoping his olympic performance could spell a new shot in the NBA.
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