Guerschon Yabusele Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Days, Lin, Napier, Luwawu-Cabarrot

September 3rd, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

Former LSU forward Darius Days has signed a one-year contract with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

Days, who will turn 25 next month, signed a two-way contract with the Heat after going undrafted in 2022, but was waived by Miami prior to the 2022/23 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Rockets and spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Houston, though he appeared in just four NBA games for the club. He inked a new two-way contract during the summer of 2023 but was cut by the Rockets last October at the start of the regular season.

The 6’7″ forward spent far more time over the past two seasons with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. Last season, Days averaged 16.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game across 45 outings for the Vipers, then joined the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League in the spring. His deal with Illawarra will represent his first time playing overseas.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

Former Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin will continue playing in Taiwan in 2024/25, having re-signed with the New Taipei Kings, he confirmed on Twitter. The veteran point guard appeared in 480 regular season games in the NBA from 2010-19, spending time with eight teams, including New York, Houston, and the Lakers.
Veteran guard Shabazz Napier, an NBA first-round pick in 2014, is reportedly joining Bayern Munich in Germany for the upcoming season. As BasketNews.com notes, Napier’s agency deleted a social media post announcing the agreement. However, Matteo Andreani of BasketInside.com (Twitter link) says it’s a done deal and will be formally announced shortly. The 33-year-old played for six NBA teams from 2014-20, appearing in 345 total regular season games.
Former NBA first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot said that input from fellow Frenchman Guerschon Yabusele helped convince him to sign with Baskonia in Spain this offseason after he spent last season with ASVEL in France. Yabusele previously played for new Baskonia head coach Pablo Laso at Real Madrid. “(Yabusele) told me only great things about Pablo,” Luwawu-Cabarrot said (story via BasketNews.com). “I guess I need to make my own impressions. It’s been only a week, so I’ll be able to tell in a year, but I know already that we’re going to have a great year and a great relationship.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers’ Rotation, Yabusele, Walker, Knicks

August 30th, 2024 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers will have a different look after a summer spending spree, prompting The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gina Mizell to project how the rotation will shake out.

Mizell anticipates the Sixers will go with a different type of starting lineup, with forward Caleb Martin replacing guard Kyle Lowry, leaving Tyrese Maxey at the point. In that scenario, Eric Gordon, Jared McCain and Reggie Jackson would compete for reserve minutes in the backcourt, while KJ Martin, Ricky Council IV and Guerschon Yabusele would fight for playing time vacated by Nicolas Batum. Andre Drummond will slot in as Joel Embiid‘s backup.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Yabusele signed a one-year contract with the Sixers after his strong showing in the Paris Olympics for France. He hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019. “Not a lot of people have a chance of second shots in the NBA,” Yabusele told Mizell. “So when the opportunity comes, you don’t think twice. … I feel like I just wanted to better myself and [say], ‘Let’s try.’ I feel like if you don’t come back in the NBA, then you play your whole career and you be like, ‘If, if, if …’”
Don’t expect Lonnie Walker IV to make the Celtics’ opening-night roster, according to Brian Robb of Masslive.com. The veteran wing was signed to a training camp deal and there are financial incentives for the Celtics to leave him off the roster, since it would cost the team millions more in luxury tax penalties to retain him. Robb pegs Walker’s chances of sticking on the 15-man roster to start the season at 30 percent.
How could the Knicks’ season be derailed? Stefan Bondy of the New York Post explores a few possible pitfalls for the team to navigate, including the overload of wings on the roster, Julius Randle not receiving an extension, and injuries.

Sixers Sign Guerschon Yabusele To One-Year Contract

August 29th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

After parting ways with Real Madrid, forward Guerschon Yabusele has officially signed with the Sixers, Philadelphia announced in a press release.

The 76ers did not disclose the terms of Yabusele’s contract, but reporting from a couple weeks ago — when the news first broke that he would be landing with Philadelphia — indicated that the 28-year-old would sign a one-year, minimum-salary deal. Since he has two years of NBA experience, his salary for 2024/25 will be $2,087,519.

The 16th overall pick of the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics for two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games with Boston and had a modest role, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.

While his first NBA stint didn’t go the way he hoped, Yabusele has thrived overseas in recent years, winning a EuroLeague title (2023) and two Spanish League (Liga ACB) titles (2022, 2024) with Real Madrid after claiming a French League (LNB Pro A) championship with ASVEL in 2021. He was also one of the key contributors to the French national team that won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Last season with Real Madrid, Yabusele appeared in 64 Liga ACB and EuroLeague games, averaging 9.7 points and 4.0 rebounds, with a shooting slash line of .531/.445/.813. In six games with France at the 2024 Olympics, he averaged 14.0 points and 3.3 rebounds on .519/.286/.815 shooting, earning second-team honors for the tournament.

The Sixers now have 17 players under contract, four shy of the offseason limit.

Real Madrid, Guerschon Yabusele Officially Part Ways

August 29th, 2024 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

Real Madrid and forward/center Guerschon Yabusele have reached an agreement to end his contract with the Spanish club, the team officially announced today in a press release. The move helps clear the way for Yabusele to finalize his reported deal with the Sixers.

Yabusele’s contract with Real Madrid included an NBA-opt out clause with a buyout reportedly worth $2.5MM. NBA rules allow the 76ers to contribute up to $850K of that amount without it counting toward their cap, but that left $1.65MM still to cover.

A team with more cap flexibility could’ve accommodated that remaining amount within Yabusele’s cap hit (e.g. paying him a $3MM salary and taking on a $4.65MM cap charge). However, because Yabusele is signing a veteran’s minimum contract with Philadelphia, his salary will be just $2,087,519, so taking the $1.65MM from that amount would essentially wipe out his NBA earnings for 2024/25.

Yabusele and Madrid were said to be negotiating the terms of his buyout. No details have been reported yet, so it’s unclear if the Spanish team may have agreed to reduce the $2.5MM total or worked out some sort of payment plan. Either way, the situation has been resolved, putting Yabusele on track to officially sign with Philadelphia once he receives FIBA clearance.

Yabusele didn’t emerge as a regular rotation player during his previous NBA stint from 2017-19 in Boston, but has thrived overseas in recent years, winning a EuroLeague title (2023) and two Spanish League (Liga ACB) titles (2022, 2024) with Real Madrid after claiming a French League (LNB Pro A) championship with ASVEL in 2021. He was also one of the key contributors to the French national team that won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Atlantic Notes: Yabusele, T. Jones, Randle, Brown

August 19th, 2024 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The roughly $2MM salary that Guerschon Yabusele will receive from the Sixers is less than his $2.5MM buyout with Real Madrid, but there’s another important financial consideration behind his decision to return to the NBA, according to BasketNews. Yabusele played two seasons with Boston after being selected with the 16th pick in the 2016 draft. Appearing in just one game this season will give him three years of NBA service, which makes him eligible for a pension and other benefits.

Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, eligible players receive $1,001.47 per month for each year they spent in the league, up to a maximum of 10 years. If he leaves the NBA after his third season, Yabusele will begin receiving $36,052.92 each year after his 62nd birthday. Life insurance, disability insurance and dental, vision, and prescription drug insurance are also available for players who qualify.

It’s also unlikely that Yabusele will face financial hardship due to his buyout, BasketNews adds. NBA rules allow the Sixers to contribute $850K of that amount, and it has become common for teams to let players pay off the rest in installments, as Gabriel Deck and Facundo Campazzo recently did when they left their teams.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Before signing with the Suns, Tyus Jones considered an offer from the Knicks worth about $10MM over two years, Ian Begley of SNY states in a mailbag column. Begley hears that Jones received at least one other offer that was significantly higher, and there were also sign-and-trade scenarios and the option to re-sign with Washington that would have paid him more than the minimum deal he accepted from Phoenix. However, Jones wanted to be starter on a contending team, and no one else in the market was able to offer him that chance.
Neither the Knicks nor Julius Randle appear to be in a hurry to reach an extension, Begley adds in the same piece. Randle became eligible for a new deal on August 3, but the two sides have until June 30 to hammer out an agreement. Begley notes that Randle is excited about the changes the team made this summer, specifically the addition of Mikal Bridges, and he’s looking forward to returning healthy for the start of camp.
On his social media account, Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown shared photos of intense underwater workouts over the weekend, relays Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston.

Sixers To Sign Guerschon Yabusele To One-Year Deal

August 18th, 2024 at 11:33am CST by Rory Maher

11:33am: Yabusele has agreed to a one-year deal with Philadelphia, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). It will be minimum-salary contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Yabusele has two years of NBA experience, so his salary for 2024/25 will be $2,087,519.

11:06am: The Sixers and Guerschon Yabusele are in “serious talks” about a contract that would bring the French forward stateside, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The news is pretty surprising, given that Yabusele’s buyout clause with Real Madrid is valued at $2.5MM — multiple NBA teams viewed that figure as “prohibitive,” according to Marc Stein (Substack link). However, Charania says Yabusele is working to resolve his situation with the Spanish powerhouse.

As our Luke Adams outlined a couple days ago, NBA teams are only permitted to pay up to $850K this season for an international player’s buyout without that money counting toward their cap. According to Charania, the remaining $1.65MM is what’s being discussed between Yabusele and Real Madrid.

The 16th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics for two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games, including five starts. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.

The 28-year-old has become a star in Europe over the past several seasons, the past three of which came with Real Madrid. He was one of the top players at the Olympics in Paris, averaging 14 points per game and earning second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal.

Shortly after France lost to the United States in the gold-medal game, Yabusele indicated he was eager to return to the NBA, and now a deal appears imminent.

Offseason Observations: Yabusele, MLEs, Draftees, Trade Vetos, Swap Rights

August 16th, 2024 at 7:18am CST by Luke Adams

With the Lauri Markkanen situation resolved, the Paris Olympics in the books, and NBA training camps still about a month-and-a-half away, we're entering the quietest portion of the 2024 offseason.

However, that doesn't mean there's nothing worth discussing.

Here are a few of the summer subplots I've been keeping an eye on, ranging from how Guerschon Yabusele's buyout with Real Madrid impacts a potential move to the NBA to the new ways in which teams are negotiating draft-pick swap rights in trades.

How Guerschon Yabusele's buyout works

A former NBA first-round pick who has been out of the league since 2019, Yabusele had an impressive showing for the French national team during the Olympics and suggested on social media after the Games that he'd welcome another opportunity stateside. However, reporting from Marc Stein indicated that Yabusele's buyout with Real Madrid is worth $2.5MM.

At least one report has stated Yabusele would be responsible for paying the majority of that $2.5MM buyout, while another has suggested an NBA team that signs him would be on the hook for the full amount. The truth depends on your perspective. Here's how it works:

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS

Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Luke Adams
Join exclusive weekly live chats with Arthur Hill
Remove ads and support our writers.

Olympic Notes: Murray, Yabusele, Giddey, Barrett, More

August 14th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

There are concerns about Jamal Murray following a lackluster Olympic performance with Team Canada, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. After dealing with injuries during the latter part of the season, the Nuggets guard was limited to 36.6% true shooting and a 4.7 PER in four Olympic games.

While Hollinger admits that’s a small sample size, he notes that Murray wasn’t any better in Canada’s exhibition contests and didn’t look like the same player he was during Denver’s 2023 title run. Hollinger observes that Murray played without “zip” while having a hard time getting separation from his defender and finishing at the rim. If there’s a physical issue affecting Murray, it could be a significant story heading into training camp and the start of the season, Hollinger adds.

A report in late June stated that the Nuggets and Murray were nearing agreement on a four-year, $208MM extension. Hollinger wonders if the team might be reconsidering that offer in light of Murray’s recent downturn.

Hollinger shares a few more thoughts on the Olympics:

Guerschon Yabusele helped his NBA prospects tremendously with his Olympic performance, but Hollinger is skeptical that he’ll join the league this season. A league source confirms to Hollinger that Yabusele has a $2.5MM buyout in his contract with Real Madrid. Any NBA team that signs him would have to pay that amount, which would count against the cap above the $850K maximum international buyout, along with Yabusele’s salary. Hollinger sees a better chance for Yabusele to return to the NBA next summer when he’ll be a free agent.
Australia used Josh Giddey as its primary ball-handler, a role he’ll assume with the Bulls this season. Hollinger points out that although Giddey could have used better outside shooting around him, he was effective running the offense. He made 11 three-pointers in four games, easing some of the concerns about him in Oklahoma City, while taking on a 30% usage rate.
Hollinger believes Raptors swingman RJ Barrett could be headed for a breakout season. Playing for Canada, Barrett ranked fourth in the Olympics in scoring at 19.8 PPG with 58/44/84 shooting splits. Hollinger adds that Barrett was impressive after being traded to Toronto last season and should have a high-usage role on a rebuilding team.
Khem Birch may have sparked NBA interest after being Canada’s top center in France, per Hollinger. Birch will be 32 by the time training camps open, but Hollinger suggests he could fill a role as a third center.
Mathias Lessort, who helped France reach the gold medal game, could be a “last-resort option” for the Knicks next summer if they still haven’t found a reliable backup center, Hollinger states. The 29-year-old big man is under contract with Panathinaikos in Greece this season.
Isaac Bonga is a free agent after wrapping up a strong Olympics with Germany. Hollinger notes that Bonga is only 24 and could return to the NBA and a three-and-D specialist, even if it doesn’t happen right away.

Eastern Notes: Yabusele, Cayette-Wilson, Hornets, Valanciunas

August 12th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Celtic forward Guerschon Yabusele, one of the top players on France’s Olympic team, wants to return to the NBA. Don’t expect Boston to make a run at him, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss writes.

Yabusele played two seasons with Boston after being drafted in the first round in 2016. Yabusele has a $2.5MM buyout in the final year of his contract with Real Madrid. The Celtics already have a similar player in Xavier Tillman and even minimum deals would result in a hefty luxury tax penalty for a franchise above the second tax apron.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Shelly Cayette-Weston, the Hornets’ new president of business operations, said that renovations for the team’s Spectrum Center are on schedule. “It’s a two-phase process, so that’s going to be a little interesting,” Cayette-Weston told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “We’re going to have Phase 1 that opens this October, and then we’re going to go and do a lot more work even next summer. So, I want them to also prepare that it is a multi-phase summer project. But I think when they come in, still they’re going to immediately see some new clubs, some new spaces, you think about the entrance when you walk in and that plaza area.”
The Hornets have announced that their new health and performance staff will be led by Trent Salo, Boone tweets. Salo worked for the Pistons over the last seven seasons. Matthew Tuttle has been named director of sports medicine and Bryce Daub has the title of director of athletic performance. Quinton Sawyer has been promoted to head athletic trainer.
Jonas Valanciunas ranks as one of the league’s all-time best rebounders, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network notes. Valanciunas has the ninth-best career rebound percentage (20.56%) in NBA history and the eighth-best defensive rebound percentage (29.05%). He’s also an efficient scorer who likes to set up in the post, giving the Wizards a different look. Valanciunas was acquired from the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade transaction.

International Notes: NBA Candidates, Besson, Bender, Cannady

August 12th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Guerschon Yabusele, who recently expressed a desire to return to the NBA, tops Mark Deeks of HoopsHype’s list of 10 players from the 2024 Olympics who deserve a look from NBA teams. Two of Yabusele’s teammates on the French national team — Mathias Lessort (No. 2) and Isaia Cordinier (No. 8) — also made the cut.

Here are a few more international notes:

Bucks draft-and-stash prospect Hugo Besson, the No. 58 pick of the 2022 draft, will play for Turkey’s Manisa Buyuksehir Belediye Spor during the 2024/25 season, per Fersu Yahyabeyoglu of Eurobasket.com (hat tip to Keith Smith of Spotrac). The French guard played in Serbia and Italy last season.
Former No. 4 overall pick Dragan Bender is rumored to be joining GeVi Napoli in Italy, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Bender suffered major ACL injuries in May 2021 and December 2022 and evidently is still recovering. “Bender is part of the team philosophy we are building,” Napoli athletic director Alessandro Dalla Salda told La Repubblica. “But to get back on top he needs time, so we may sign a player while waiting for his return.” The 26-year-old last played in the NBA in 2019/20.
Guard Devin Cannady, who played 13 games with the Magic over two different seasons, has signed with Panionios B.C., the Greek club announced in a press release. It’s the first international stop for the former Princeton star, who played for the NBA G League’s Birmingham Squadron (the Pelicans’ affiliate) in ’23/24.