Guerschon Yabusele took a gamble by leaving Real Madrid. It was a risky gamble that cost him 2.5 million euros and forced him to play ‘for free’, as his salary with the Sixers for a single season was going to be 2 million dollars. His goal was to have a good campaign to get a good contract in the summer. And he is succeeding. In fact, he is one of the names that are on the market that closes next week. The phone does not stop ringing in Philadelphia from teams asking about the burly French player of 2.04 meters and 29 years old.
It’s normal with performances like the one Yabusele had against the Nuggets. He broke his scoring record with 28 points (12/17 from the field and 4/7 from three-point range), grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists and recovered three balls in the 36 minutes he was on the court. The Frenchman seems to be motivated by having Nikola Jokic in front of him. In the previous game against him he went for 22 points in only 24 minutes. However, the Sixers lost both games: 137-134 on Saturday and 109-144 a few weeks ago.
The French player is one of the few positive news stories for the Sixers this season. They are 11th in the East with a 19-28 record and their three main players, Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, have all had injuries. The former is particularly worrying, as he is still out of action and there are already those who are waiting for the franchise’s statement saying that he will not play again this season.
With this panorama, Yabusele has been the perfect stopgap. His versatility and physique have allowed him to play center, power forward and small forward. Always showing his good hand, imposing his physique, being unstoppable in penetration, helping on the rebound… He averages 10.8 points with 40% in three-pointers, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26.4 minutes.
Knicks the latest to join the bidding
The Knicks, according to Hoopshype, have been the last team to show interest in the French player. For playoff teams like the Big Apple, he can be a valuable piece coming off the bench and opening up the court. The Sixers will decide whether to part with him. With the salaries they are carrying, it is likely that in the summer they will not be able to retain him, as they will not be able to compete with the offers that Yabusele will have.
Trading him now and gambling on continuing to lose is another option, as the Sixers will have to give the Thunder their first-round draft pick this year if it falls outside the top six. The worse, the better. What is clear is that Yabusele is earning himself a juicy contract for next season. His brilliant Olympic Games and that media dunk on LeBron James invited him to bet heavily on his return to the NBA. It looks like it’s going to work out well for him.