Guerschon Yabusele will be coveted in free agency. He’s ‘happy and proud’ to have the Sixers as an option.
Initially signed as a reserve power forward, Yabusele has become a key cog in the Sixers’ rotation. He has served as a safety net while Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond have struggled with injuries.
MILWAUKEE — The 76ers want to hang on to Guerschon Yabusele.
So at last Thursday’s trade deadline, they made the necessary transactions to prioritize re-signing him in free agency this summer.
“I don’t think you can ever be confident in an unrestricted free agent, but we feel very good,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said. “We love him. We just freed up more with [Caleb Martin’s] contract going out; we freed up more room for the future. So we feel very good about retaining Yabu.”
» READ MORE: Is Joel Embiid eyeing offseason knee surgery? The Sixers center backed off an ESPN report.
Martin, who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks last week, was in the first year of the four-year, $35 million contract he signed on July 6.
While negotiations will determine the outcome, Yabusele would welcome a multiyear contract to return to the Sixers. Yabusele will never forget how eager they were to provide him with a one-year, $2.08 million veteran’s minimum deal while three other teams wanted him to wait.
“Believe me, I don’t want to say much,” he said, “But it’s definitely [on] my mind.”
Yabusele is grateful for everything he has experienced along his basketball journey.
The Sixers initially looked at Yabusele, nicknamed the “Dancing Bear,” as a low-risk addition for a team with no true power forwards on the roster. He resolved his $2.5 million contract buyout with Spanish team Real Madrid of Liga ACB and the EuroLeague to set up his NBA return.
This is Yabusele’s second stint in the NBA. He was selected 16th by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 draft. Instead of initially joining Boston, he signed a one-year deal with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He then played for the Celtics during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons and averaged 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 6.6 minutes in 74 games with five starts.
Afterward, Yabusele headed back overseas. He spent a season with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association before joining ASVEL of French LNB Pro A in 2020.
Yabusele’s last overseas deal came with Real Madrid in July 2021. He helped lead the team to the 2023 EuroLeague championship, two Liga ACB titles, and three Spanish Super Cup championships. He averaged 9.8 points while shooting 43% from three-point range last season in Spain.
“So if this business is hard with loyalty, Philly is going to be special,” Yabusele said.
» READ MORE: Sixers owner Josh Harris: ‘I’m really optimistic that we are going to make a playoff run now’
Yabusele’s basketball career changed last summer. He helped lead the French national team to a silver medal in the Paris Olympics, where he averaged 19.6 points in France’s three games against Canada, Germany, and Team USA in the medal round.
That’s when the Sixers entered his story. They provided Yabusele an opportunity to be a key member of the rotation. The 6-foot-7, 280-pounder was expected to be a seldom-used reserve power forward. However, he has played in 49 games — and started 26 contests at forward and center.
While undersized at the five position, Yabusele has been a safety net as seven-time All-Star Joel Embiid and reserve center Andre Drummond have missed a large chunk of the season because of injuries. The 29-year-old is averaging 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He’s also shooting 40.4% on three-pointers and has become a fan favorite.
“I really love this city,” Yabusele said. “I really love the fans. I really love the atmosphere and everything we got going on, even though the season was up and down. And I really do think we got something going on in the team. We can definitely figure it out.”
The Sixers (20-32) came into this season with lofty expectations after signing Paul George to a four-year, $211.5 million maximum-salary contract. Signing Martin, Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson along with re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry, KJ Martin, and Tyrese Maxey had catapulted the Sixers to becoming a major threat to dethrone the reigning NBA champion Celtics. Or that was the thought.
» READ MORE: Sixers sunk in Milwaukee by a barrage of Bucks three-pointers
The team has been a major disappointment and ended up trading Jackson, Caleb Martin, and KJ Martin at the trade deadline to slash salary and get younger.
The Sixers will look to snap their three-game losing streak Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m., NBCSP). The Raptors (16-37) have a 1-0 series advantage after prevailing, 115-107, on Oct. 25.
The Sixers, who entered Tuesday in 11th in the Eastern Conference, are determined to turn this disappointing season around. Yabusele aims to play a large part in that effort.
“As far as right now, I’m going to try to play my best and definitely try to get the result,” Yabusele said. “And as far as the summer, I feel like I just have to sit down and see the [free-agency] options. But knowing that Philly is here [as an option] is definitely something that I’m happy and proud [about].”