When the Celtics took a chance on a young player dubbed the French Draymond Green back in the 2016 draft, fans had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Guerschon Yabusele, AKA the Dancing Bear, quickly became a fan favorite after being selected 16th overall, but it never worked out for him in Boston.
Yabu lasted just two seasons, coming nowhere close to cracking the rotation, before being waived by the Celtics in the 2019 offseason. He bounced around from China to France before catching on with Real Madrid, where he played for four seasons and helped the team win two Liga ACB titles and a EuroLeague Championship.
After starring for the French National Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Yabu got a second chance in the NBA following a five-year absence. He quickly established himself as a steady role player for the 76ers, appearing in 70 games last season, playing 27.1 minutes per game, averaging 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds on 38% three-point shooting.
By all accounts, it seemed like Yabusele was back and here to stay after a long hiatus from the league. He signed a two-year, $11.7 million deal with the Knicks and was expected to have a prominent bench role. But he quickly fell out of the rotation and has been relegated to garbage time minutes for most of the season. As suddenly as Yabu came back into our lives, it appeared as if he might be on the way out again.
Trade to the Bulls has given Yabusele a major opportunity
But thanks to a whirlwind of trades, the Knicks dumped Yabu at the deadline to make room for Jose Alvarado, and Guerschon ended up on a rudderless Bulls team. Chicago’s roster doesn’t make a ton of sense at the moment, and they’re clearly in rebuilding mode, but it’s working out well for Yabusele.
In three games with the Bulls, Yabusele has tallied his three highest minutes totals of the season, logging 33, 26, and 22 minutes in consecutive games. Over that span, he has scored 30 points and put up 15 rebounds while hitting 8 threes.
That comes after putting up just 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game with the Knicks over the first 41 games of the season, with just 20 three-pointers made all year.
It’s not clear what will come of this Bulls team, but these guys are going to have the rest of this season to audition for a job, either in Chicago or somewhere else in the league. It has only been a handful of games, but Yabu is making the most of his opportunity, showing that his NBA story may not be done just yet.
We’ll get a chance to see him take the court on Wednesday as Yabu and the Bulls come to Boston to take on the Celtics in the final game before the All-Star break. The game will also serve as Anfernee Simons’ return to Boston, and Nikola Vucevic’s first game against the Bulls since being traded.