Guerschon Yabusele Rumors

And-Ones: Rebuilding Teams, Free Agency, Flagg, NBL

March 21st, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Among 11 NBA teams in various stages of their respective rebuilds, the Spurs are best positioned for the long run, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link). San Antonio’s place atop the rankings has a lot to do with the presence of Victor Wembanyama on the roster, but Bontemps points to Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and recently acquired point guard De’Aaron Fox as other likely core pieces for the Spurs, who could end up with two more lottery picks this spring.

Interestingly, Bontemps places the Hornets and Wizards at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on his rebuild rankings, praising Charlotte in particular for its promising collection of young talent. The Trail Blazers and Bulls come in at 10th and 11th on Bontemps’ list, largely because there are questions about whether either team has a franchise player to build around and whether they’ll be in position to land one in the draft anytime soon.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights several of the challenging situations that teams will face in free agency this summer, including the Cavaliers with Ty Jerome, the Nuggets with Russell Westbrook, the Kings with Jake LaRavia, and the Sixers with Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele. Many of those clubs will be limited in what they can offer their free agents, either due to a lack of full Bird rights or tax/apron concerns.
Meanwhile, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) looks ahead to 2026 and explains why next year’s star-studded free agent class will likely be something of a mirage, given all the contract extensions likely to be signed between now and then.
ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link) spoke to 10 NBA executives about projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, surveying those execs on the Duke freshman’s strengths and weaknesses, his odds of winning a title with the Blue Devils, and whether there’s any chance he decides to stay in school for another year. “I can’t remember a No. 1 pick deciding to go back to school,” one Eastern Conference scout told ESPN.
Ahead of the NBA playing its first games in Australia this fall, a battle over the ownership of the country’s National Basketball League appears to be brewing. Olgun Uluc of ESPN Australia has the story.

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Yabusele, Butler, Nurse, Injury Report

March 18th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Quentin Grimes, a trade deadline acquisition, continues to shine for the Sixers. The combo guard — a restricted free agent after this season — erupted for a career-high 46 points against the Rockets in an overtime loss on Monday. Grimes, who also finished with a career-best 13 rebounds, has scored 30 or more points in five separate games since coming to Philadelphia.

“It’s cool,” Grimes told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But I had a costly turnover that cost us the game late in the fourth. I have to be better in those situations, probably on the ball, try to get fouled. It’s cool and all, but we probably should have just ended the game, ended it with a win.”

We have more on the Sixers:

While they have been decimated by injuries, big man Guerschon Yabusele has continued to play despite battling knee soreness. Yabusele sat out Monday’s game, but he’s appeared in 62 of 68 games and has served as a few of the few constants in Philadelphia this season. “That’s just who I am,” he told Pompey. “I always try to keep playing no matter what. You know that’s just me. I just want to compete. I want to be out there and help the guys. I hate just being on the bench and looking at the guys over there, struggling or losing. It’s something I don’t like to be a part of.” Yabusele has some extra incentive to stay on the court — he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Sixers had only nine players available on Monday, yet nearly knocked off one of the better teams in the Western Conference. “I think it’s just outside of our nature to go out there and try to lose,” guard Jared Butler said, per Pompey. ”I can’t see myself playing like that in any kind of way.”
While some fans might be unhappy with head coach Nick Nurse, he shouldn’t be the scapegoat for the team’s dismal season, Pompey argues. Nurse has been forced to juggle the rotation throughout the season due to the rash of injuries, using 44 different starting lineups, Pompey points out.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Thunder due to a sprained right knee, Pompey tweets. Yabusele is questionable, while Tyrese Maxey, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona, Kyle Lowry and Lonnie Walker remain out.
In case you missed it, Paul George has been ruled out for the season. Get the details here.

Sixers Notes: Walker, Maxey, Martin, Reese

March 10th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonnie Walker turned in his best game since joining the Sixers last month, coming off the bench Sunday with 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a win over Utah. After being waived by Boston just before the start of the season, the 26-year-old shooting guard spent time with Zalgiris Kaunas in the EuroLeague while awaiting his next NBA opportunity. After Sunday’s game, he talked about how he benefited from that experience, according to BasketNews.

“There are a lot of factors people don’t consider, like your mental state, your physical state, and how you’re feeling,” Walker said. “There was a seven- or eight-hour time difference to adjust to, but also playing at a completely different level of basketball, with a different style of play. Understanding new plays and learning how the team plays was part of the process.”

Walker has a chance to revive his NBA career in Philadelphia, which is his third team in the last three years after he spent his first four NBA seasons in San Antonio. He played 34 minutes Sunday night and figures to be part of the rotation for the rest of the season.

During his time away from the league, Walker gained an appreciation for the style of basketball being played in Europe.

“Most definitely,” he said. “Don’t get it twisted, the EuroLeague is a beautiful league. The passion and the way the game is played over there is special. But I definitely have a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to return to the best league in the world and showcase my abilities.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Coach Nick Nurse told reporters before the game that he plans to monitor the minutes of Andre Drummond, Guerschon Yabusele and Kelly Oubre, who all saw limited action on Sunday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey notes that they’re the only three rotation players from the start of the season that were active on Sunday. Nurse also provided an update on Tyrese Maxey, who’s sidelined with a lower back strain, saying the star guard “did some on-court work today,” but remains questionable for Monday’s game against Atlanta.
KJ Martin returned to Philadelphia on Sunday for the first time since being traded last month in a cost-cutting move, per Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice. Martin said he enjoyed his time with the Sixers and regrets that a stress reaction in his foot interrupted what could have been a productive season. “I had a great time this year,” he said. “Philly will always have a place in my heart for sure.”
Alex Reese had six points and nine rebounds in 15 minutes in his first significant playing time of the season, Aaronson adds. The two-way forward said he’s been able to develop his game during his time with the Sixers and the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware. “It’s been good in both places,” Reese said. “Here and in Delaware, both teams have welcomed me. They’ve taught me a lot so far, pointed me in the right directions… I’m enjoying it and grateful to be here.”

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Embiid, Oubre, George, Yabusele

March 3rd, 2025 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Fourth-year guard Quentin Grimes is known more as a complementary player than a big-time scoring threat. In his first three-and-a-half seasons before he was traded to the Sixers last month, he had scored 30 or more points in just two of his 215 career NBA games. Since arriving in Philadelphia, he has done it twice in nine games, including on Saturday when he poured in a career-high 44 points on 18-of-24 shooting in a win over Golden State.

Grimes, who had 20 points through two quarters, said he knew he was in for a huge night when he came out of halftime and kept scoring, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’ve had 20-point halves in the past,” he said. “But I think in the third quarter, I ran off like … 11 straight, I was kind of like, ‘Okay, I’m kind of feeling it tonight for sure.'”

Grimes, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, has been playing some of the best basketball of his career since joining the 76ers, averaging 16.8 points per game on 51.8% shooting (41.1% on three-pointers). The Sixers acquired him and a second-round pick in a deal that sent Caleb Martin and a second-rounder to Dallas. Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Grimes admitted he was somewhat caught off guard by the trade.

“I was kind of shocked a little bit, knowing how well I had been playing for (the Mavericks) and contributing,” he said. “We had a really good group of guys, and we had a really good bond with each other, so it was initially a shock. Here, there is a really good group of guys as well.”

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

The Sixers’ decision to rule out Joel Embiid for the rest of the season due to his nagging left knee injury remains a hot topic of discussion. Brian Windhorst of ESPN takes an in-depth look at how Embiid’s season went south, a handful of ESPN’s NBA insiders discuss what’s next for the 76ers and their star center in the short- and long-term, and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer considers how Embiid’s growing list of injuries will affect his legacy. Windhorst and Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link) both reported that Embiid sought a meeting with team owner Josh Harris in late February to discuss how best to move forward
Kelly Oubre has played heavy minutes for the Sixers as of late and has been one of the team’s most effective players, averaging 18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 38.7 minutes per night in the team’s last 17 games. However, he won’t be available on Monday vs. Portland, having been ruled out with an illness, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. Oubre holds an $8.38MM player option for 2025/26, so the better he plays down the stretch, the more inclined he may be to decline that option and test free agency.
Paul George will turn 35 in May and knows he may only have a few more years to compete for a championship, which is why a season like this one has been so disappointing for him, Pompey writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Each year is a year I can’t get back,” he said. “… I haven’t been in the best physical health this season. It’s been a lot of things going on that I have been trying to battle and fight through. … It’s frustrating that this stuff keeps popping up for me knowing that that window is closing.”
In addition to speaking to Grimes, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also interviewed Guerschon Yabusele, discussing the Frenchman’s successful return to the NBA this season and his expectations for free agency. Yabusele said he feels comfortable in Philadelphia but will take his time with his free agency decision. “I’m going to take my time and see what the options are,” Yabusele said. “Having that option and chance to be back here is definitely something I love to hear.”

Sixers Notes: Bulls Loss, George, Embiid, Yabusele

February 25th, 2025 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers‘ season continues to reach new lows. On Monday, Philadelphia was obliterated at home by a Bulls team that came into the game on a six-game losing streak, falling behind Chicago by as many as 50 points in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing by 32. The 76ers are now 20-37, 12th in the Eastern Conference, and sit 2.5 games behind the Bulls for the final play-in spot.

After the game, forward Paul George told reporters that the Sixers need to have more “pride” on defense, adding that he’s “baffled” by how easily they give up layups and easy baskets (YouTube link). Asked about the club’s postseason hopes, he acknowledged that Philadelphia hasn’t looked like a team capable of making noise in the playoffs — or even making it there.

“We’ve shown no signs of a team that will compete,” George said (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “We just don’t have the habits that a champion or a playoff-contending team would have. So to be honest right now, it’s a little far-fetched. All we can do is work hard, try to keep going for one another. But we’ve shown no signs of – forget championship – a playoff-contending team here.”

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

Within a column for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Marcus Hayes cites medical opinions from doctors who aren’t directly involved in Joel Embiid‘s treatment about what sort of options the big man might have to address his nagging left knee problems. According to Hayes, the original plan was for Embiid to get used to playing with some level of soreness, managing the knee by regularly draining it and injecting it with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). But Embiid has gotten worse instead of better in recent weeks and experienced swelling in the knee on Sunday, which necessitated an additional round of testing. One source tells Hayes that another surgery was never seriously considered as an option for Embiid until this weekend.
Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele, one of the few success stories in Philadelphia this season, left Monday’s game early after suffering an eye injury. According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links), Yabusele has been diagnosed with a corneal abrasion in one eye and has swelling around his other eye. He’ll undergo further evaluation on Tuesday and the hope is that there’s no retinal damage, Neubeck adds.
Despite being currently mired in an eight-game losing streak, the Sixers remain unlikely to finish the season with a worse record than the Pelicans, Jazz, Hornets, or Wizards, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Still, the 76ers could be incentivized to shut down George and Embiid in the hopes that Toronto passes them in the standings. In that scenario, Philadelphia would have the league’s fifth-worst record and roughly a 64% chance of hanging onto its protected first-round draft pick, which will be sent to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top six.

Morey: Sixers ‘Feel Very Good’ About Re-Signing Yabusele

February 11th, 2025 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Sixers signed Guerschon Yabusele during the 2024 offseason, they gave him a one-year, minimum-salary contract. That deal has been a bargain, with the big man emerging as a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season in Philadelphia.

Yabusele has averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 26.8 minutes per game across 49 outings (26 starts), posting impressive shooting percentages of 52.4% from the floor and 40.4% on three-pointers.

Given the team’s limited ability to give him a raise as a free agent this offseason, however, there was some speculation leading up to the trade deadline that Yabusele, who reportedly drew plenty of interest on the trade market, would be on the move. But Philadelphia hung onto him and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said the club feels good about a future with the Frenchman beyond this season, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I don’t think you can ever be confident in an unrestricted free agent, but we feel very good,” 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.”

As Morey notes, trading Martin, who had a guaranteed $8.6MM salary for next season, creates some additional cap flexibility going forward for the Sixers.

While it doesn’t affect what the club can offer Yabusele using his Non-Bird rights (up to 120% of his minimum), moving Martin off the books will generate some extra breathing room below the projected first tax apron in 2025/26 to potentially free up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will be worth up to $14.1MM, rather than the taxpayer MLE, which will be worth up to $5.7MM. Philadelphia could use that MLE to offer Yabusele a new contract.

As Pompey relays, Yabusele admitted that his contract situation is “definitely” on his mind. He’s hopeful he’ll be able to work something out with the team that gave him a second chance in the NBA after his initial stint (from 2017-19 with Boston) didn’t pan out.

“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.

“… As far as right now, I’m going to try to play my best and definitely try to get the result. And as far as the summer, you know, 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].”

Trade Rumors: Johnson, Martin, Sixers, Lakers, Jazz

February 5th, 2025 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

It seems increasingly likely that Cameron Johnson will remain in Brooklyn beyond the trade deadline, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who has consistently heard that the Nets are willing to field calls about the veteran forward but aren’t actively shopping him.

While the Nets moved quickly this season to trade Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, both of whom can reach unrestricted free agency this summer, Johnson is under contract for two more years beyond this one, so there’s no urgency in Brooklyn to move off of him at this point — especially since the team still projects to have substantial cap room for next season even with Johnson’s $20.5MM salary on the books.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv also reported on Tuesday that a Johnson trade may not happen this week.

We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:

There’s a chance that KJ Martin, whom the Pistons agreed to acquire from Philadelphia, could be rerouted to another team prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. If Detroit were to acquire Martin using cap space rather than the room exception, his salary could be aggregated with one or more other players in a subsequent deal.
According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Guerschon Yabusele are among the veterans who continue to draw interest for the Sixers, who already traded Caleb Martin in addition to KJ Martin. However, Philadelphia is reluctant to move Yabusele, preferring to find a way to retain him beyond his current one-year, minimum-salary contract, Stein and Fischer say.
Grant Afseth of RG.org takes a look at the Lakers‘ hunt for another center, suggesting that – despite Rob Pelinka‘s comments downplaying the urgency to find more than a stop-gap – the team is still considering a wide range of possible targets.
Tony Jones of The Athletic checks in on the Jazz‘s plans ahead of the trade deadline, writing that John Collins and Jordan Clarkson are considered more available than Collin Sexton and especially Walker Kessler. Utah values Sexton and has set a “very high” asking price for Kessler, Jones explains.

Nuggets Trade Talks: Nnaji, Saric, Martin, Yabusele, Watson, Strawther, Braun

February 4th, 2025 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets are gauging the trade market on Zeke Nnaji and Dario Saric, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports.

Denver doesn’t appear to be looking for any blockbuster-type moves. Rather, the Nuggets’ front office is seeking to upgrade the bench prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, according to Scotto and The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando.

The Nuggets, Scotto hears, have expressed interest in Hornets wing Cody Martin and Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele. Martin has one worth a non-guaranteed $8.68MM remaining on his contract after this season, while Yabusele has an expiring minimum-salary deal.

With Denver owing 10 future draft picks to various teams, potential suitors have been inquiring about young rotation players such as Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther, according to Scotto. The Nuggets have even heard from teams wondering if they’d give up Christian Braun, but Denver’s front office has brushed them off.

Nnaji has three more years left on his deal, while Saric possesses a $5.4MM player option on next season’s contract. As Durando notes, the Nuggets are a first apron team and can’t acquire more salary than they send out. The only tradable first-round pick they have is in 2031 but it’s devalued by protections on the 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-rounders they’ve already dealt — due to the seven-year rule, it can’t be pushed back to 2032 if any of those picks fail to convey.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone declared on Monday that forward Michael Porter Jr. won’t be traded. Porter previously came up in reported trade talks regarding Zach LaVine, who was just dealt to Sacramento. Chicago, however, was reluctant to take Nnaji’s contract and there were also internal questions about whether LaVine and Jamal Murray could’ve coexisted effectively on both sides of the ball, Scotto adds.

Begley’s Latest: Knicks, Theis, Sims, Nets, Brogdon, Cavs, Raptors

February 4th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming that the Knicks have inquired on Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele, Ian Begley of SNY.tv adds Pelicans veteran Daniel Theis to the list of bigs New York has checked in on.

As Begley writes, the Knicks may turn out not to need another center if Mitchell Robinson is able to return in February and stays healthy. But Robinson was only just cleared for contact and will need some time to get into game shape, so the team won’t know by Thursday’s trade deadline what it can realistically expect from him for the rest of the season.

With that in mind, the Knicks will continue to browse the market for possible frontcourt reinforcements, though they’ll face competition, according to Begley, who notes that the Lakers are also seeking a center and the Nuggets are on the lookout for a backup big man of their own.

Begley believes that Knicks center Jericho Sims will end up being traded by the deadline. Sims is on an expiring contract and hasn’t established himself as a reliable rotation option for head coach Tom Thibodeau, so it’s possible he could be sent out in a deal for a more trustworthy veteran. He could legally be traded straight up for Yabusele, Begley notes, though the Sixers would certainly want more than just Sims in return for the Frenchman.

Here’s more from Begley:

While the Nets‘ biggest trade chip is Cameron Johnson, teams monitoring the situation are skeptical that any suitor will make a strong enough offer this week to pry him out of Brooklyn, Begley writes. Elsewhere on the Nets’ front, center Day’Ron Sharpe is generating some interest, Begley adds, with the Clippers among the teams who have done background work on Sharpe.
Begley reports that the Lakers and Clippers are among the teams that had Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon on their radar earlier this season. However, after their recent deals, neither Los Angeles team is particularly well positioned to match Brogdon’s $22.5MM cap hit, so it’s unclear whether that interest persists. The Clippers, operating below the tax aprons, would be eligible to sign Brogdon in the event he reaches the buyout market. but the Lakers wouldn’t be since they’re over the first apron.
There has been some speculation that the Cavaliers may make a trade to get out of luxury tax territory, but they’ve signaled to teams that they’re not looking to move forward Georges Niang in a salary dump, says Begley.
According to Begley, the Raptors have a deal lined up to trade one of their players into cap space “if the need arises.” It’s impossible to know exactly what that sort of move would look like without more details, but I’d speculate it would only be necessary if Toronto gets involved in a bigger multi-team deal and needs to send out salary for matching purposes that none of their other trade partners wants to take on. Although Begley’s reference to “cap space” suggests Detroit – the only team with actual cap space – may be involved, there are a number of teams with exceptions available to take on smaller contracts, like Utah did with Jalen Hood-Schifino in the Luka Doncic mega-deal.

Atlantic Notes: Anunoby, Robinson, Yabusele, Raptors

February 3rd, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OG Anunoby‘s right foot sprain doesn’t appear to be serious. The Knicks forward, who suffered the injury in a non-contact play on Saturday, had an MRI on Sunday and is considered day-to-day, according to The Athletic’s James Edwards.

Anunoby’s availability will be determined by “how he responds to treatment,” according to coach Tom Thibodeau. Anunoby, who had elbow surgery last season after being acquired from Toronto, hadn’t missed a game this season prior to sitting out against Houston on Monday.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

On another Knicks injury front, center Mitchell Robinson has been cleared for contact in practice, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. However, that update comes with an asterisk. Robinson has to clear a couple more hurdles before he’s allowed to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages with contact, Thibodeau told the media. The big man has yet to play in 2024/25 after undergoing ankle surgery last offseason.
Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele has drawn serious interest from several teams, but he hopes to stay put, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “If it does happen, I will be in whatever situation I got to be in,” Yabusele said. “I don’t want to get my head into this too much. I just want to think about playing right now. I’m still a Sixers player, and I hope to stay a Sixers player.” Yabusele’s $2.09MM salary expires this offseason and the Sixers only hold his Non-Bird rights, so they’re limited in what they can offer him unless they use their mid-level exception — they’ll likely only have the taxpayer form of the MLE.
The Raptors, who are operating well under the luxury tax line, have expressed interested in facilitating trades. The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines that the front office needs to be patient and stick to its rebuilding plan, no matter what type of trades it pursues.