Guerschon Yabusele’s NBA comeback hit another major point when he signed with the Knicks in free agency. The former Celtics first-round pick had a successful season with the 76ers, showing off his improved game as he entered unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Yabusele made it back to the league with the 76ers and they had made it clear they wanted to re-sign the French forward. Turns out, when it came to actual free agency, they weren’t very competitive in negotiations with Yabusele.
“I didn’t have any hard feelings or hard time,” Yabusele said in a recent interview with SKWEEK TV. “But they almost didn’t make really like an offer. They did. But it was really, really low to be really transparent. So I felt like, ‘Oh my god, you guys, it seems like you don’t really want me to stay, kind of.’ So it was a situation, but no hard feelings. I’m always thankful for them.”
Yabusele landed with the Knicks on a two-year, $12 million contract with a player option the second season. The Sixers couldn’t match that offer, so instead, Yabusele ends up as a depth add for a Knicks team hoping to contend next season. Yabusele was a bright spot despite a disappointing Sixers season as he averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 70 games (43 starts) last year.
Getting a multi-year NBA contract was far from a guarantee for Yabusele even just last summer. After he was picked by the Celtics 16th overall in the 2016 draft, he played in Boston from 2017-19 but couldn’t stick stateside. He bounced around overseas before landing with Real Madrid.
Yabusele’s breakout came during France’s run to the silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. From there, he garnered NBA interest before landing with the Sixers on a minimum contract. After showing off his 3-and-D abilities last season, it was clear the physical 6-foot-8 forward could hang in the NBA. And now, he was rewarded for it with a contract with the Knicks.
“Leaving Philly was not a major key,” Yabusele said. "I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh my god, I could‘ve go back.’ I didn’t really have any issues over there like I want to leave, no. I was like, ‘OK, if they want to re-sign me and then they give me something good, I will come back, for sure.’ And if they want me to leave, then I will leave."
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