According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers are signing French national team standout Guerschon Yabusele to a one-year, $2.1 million contract, and the move could be slanted toward helping them beat the Boston Celtics.
Yabusele last played in the NBA in the 2018-19 season. He spent two years in Boston after the Celtics drafted him with the No. 16 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
After stops in China and France, Yabusele finally found a home with Spanish club Real Madrid. That’s where he’s been playing since the 2020-21 season, and he’s been a quality player overseas.
Guerschon Yabusele will help the 76ers beat the Celtics by guarding Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
But Yabusele really burst onto the scene again while playing for France during the 2024 Olympics. In six games, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 51.9% from the field and 28.6% from distance.
Yabusele also provided some solid, versatile defense for the French National Team, and that is where his true value will be for Philadelphia, particularly when they go up against the Celtics.
A quick glance at the 76ers roster reveals two players who can match up with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown—Paul George and Caleb Martin. The next-best guy they have available to guard Boston’s dynamic wing duo is probably Kelly Oubre Jr.
And while all three of those guys can do a solid enough job of matching up with the Celtics’ stars, they all have their flaws. Martin is only 6-foot-5, George is 34 years old, and Oubre is a bit better at defending guards.
Yabusele is a big forward, clocking in at 6-foot-8 and weighing 260 lbs. Obviously, he hasn’t guarded NBA-level competition on a consistent basis in a while, but he showed some serious upside during the Olympics.
Having a bigger, stronger guy on the roster to help deal with Tatum and Brown will be very useful for the Sixers. He’ll help against a bunch of the bigger wings around the league.
Philadelphia probably didn’t sign Yabusele for the sole purpose of guarding Tatum and Brown, but they did need a bit more size at the forward position. He gives them that and, in turn, a better body to throw at Boston’s stars.