Guerschon Yabusele Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

French Star Guerschon Yabusele Eager To Return To NBA

August 11th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA forward Guerschon Yabusele, one of the top players on France’s Olympic team, wants to return to the league. Yabusele posted on his social media account that he’s looking for another opportunity to prove himself at the NBA level.

“Been waiting for a 2nd chance. I’m ready,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Yabusele, 28, has one season remaining on his Real Madrid contract with an NBA buyout of $2.5MM, Marc Stein tweets. The buyout was $1MM prior to July 15.

Yabusele poured in 20 points with two rebounds and two steals in France’s 98-87 loss to Team USA in the Paris Olympic championship game on Sunday. He averaged 14 points per game and earned second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal.

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 from 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.

Yabusele has played with Real Madrid for the past three seasons. He averaged a career-best 14.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season while shooting 56.5% from the field, 46.1% from 3-point range and 86.8% from the free throw line.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Yabusele, LeBron, Sale

August 11th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics star Jayson Tatum was often the odd man out in Team USA’s lineups, but he won’t let this year’s Olympic experience affect his availability for international basketball in the future, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Tatum didn’t get off the bench in two of the six U.S. games, including the semifinal matchup with Serbia. He saw 11 minutes in Saturday’s gold medal contest, finishing with two points and three rebounds.

“It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I’m not going to make any decision off emotions,” Tatum said. “If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028 — it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So I’m not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually.”

Tatum’s surprising lack of playing time was one of the few controversies affecting this version of Team USA. He’s among the best players in the world, earning first-team All-NBA honors last season while winning his first championship and appearing in his fifth straight All-Star Game. Coach Steve Kerr explained numerous times that Tatum’s minutes were the result of matchups and having so many talented players on the roster. Tatum said at Saturday’s post-game press conference that he received a lot of feedback from supporters.

“A lot of people text me and reached out and said ‘Make sure this fuels you,’ which I appreciate. There’s a lot of people that care about me,” he said. “I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I’m still human. … Part of being in the moment, I’ve sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So in the moment it is tough. You’re not necessarily worried about fueling me for November or [whenever] the season is, but like I said, it’s something I’m going to take away from this and learn from this experience. It’s definitely challenging and humbling at the same time.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Former Celtic Guerschon Yabusele used the Olympics to show that he’s one of the best players outside the NBA, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. He averaged 14 points per game and earned second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal. Washburn notes that Yabusele was an undersized power forward without a developed shooting touch when he played for Boston from 2017-19, but he has refined his game and gotten into excellent shape during his three seasons with Real Madrid.
It’s possible that LeBron James could eventually become a part owner of the Celtics, according to Josh Kosman of The New York Post. Boston’s longtime rival is a business partner with Fenway Sports Group and RedBird Capital, who are considering making a bid for the shares being sold by Wyc Grousbeck. James couldn’t be part of an ownership group while he’s an active player, but there’s a chance he’ll be retired by the time the sale is finalized in 2028.
The Celtics’ value has been estimated at $5.12 billion, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, who report that the franchise has hired JPMorgan Chase and BDT & MSD to oversee the sale.

Olympic Notes: Durant, Batum, Wembanyama, Awards

August 10th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

After becoming the first men’s basketball player with four Olympic gold medals, could Kevin Durant stick around long enough to try for a fifth? He hinted at that possibility at Saturday’s post-game press conference when asked about the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.

“Records are meant to be broken,” Durant said. “My goal was always to represent my country, my state, my street, my family name. And help to push the game forward. Since I’ve been there, I’ve done that. We’ve built on the 1992 Dream Team, and I’m glad we managed to carry it over. Regarding L.A., who knows, man? We’ll see.”

Durant is still playing at an All-Star level at age 35, and he’s under contract with the Suns for two more seasons. If he decides to extend his career beyond that, he’ll be the same age that LeBron James is now when the 2028 Olympics roll around.

Durant is one of the most accomplished players in Olympics history and is among eight men who have reached 500 career points. He passed Carmelo Anthony as the men’s all-time leading scorer for Team USA, and he recently eclipsed Lisa Leslie as well.

“For me, it’s about pushing the game forward on the biggest stage, helping USA Basketball,” Durant added. “I didn’t even think about who is the best player. You just try to contribute as much as you can to the big picture.”

There’s more from Paris:

Nicolas Batum‘s long career with the French national team ended with today’s loss in the gold medal game, according to BasketNews. Appearing on French television, Batum announced his retirement from international competition. “It was my last one with this jersey,” he said. “I spent 15 years playing four World Cups, four EuroBaskets and four Olympics. I did what I had to do: seven medals. I’m happy.”
Victor Wembanyama savored the chance to compete for a medal on his home soil, Urbonas tweets. The 20-year-old phenom was a crowd favorite throughout the tournament and was at his best in Saturday’s game, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds. “It’s an incredible experience,” he said. “The anthem is one of my favorite parts. I know I’m only 20, but I don’t know when that will happen again. And it makes me want to cry again. It was just such a chance.”
Wembanyama was named to the All-Star Five, which recognizes the best players in the Olympics, along with Team USA’s James and Stephen Curry, Germany’s Dennis Schröder and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, FIBA announced (via Twitter). Making up the second team are Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic, Germany’s Franz Wagner, France’s Guerschon Yabusele and Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. James was selected as Olympics MVP, Wembanyama is the Rising Star, France’s Vincent Collet is the Best Coach and Serbia’s Aleksa Avramovic is the Best Defensive Player.

Olympic Notes: Curry, Gobert, Fournier, Wembanyama

August 10th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

While no Team USA player wants to be remembered for missing out on a gold medal, the experience would be worse for Stephen Curry, who is likely involved in his only Olympics at age 36, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The reputation of the 2004 bronze medal team was among the thoughts going through Curry’s head when the U.S. faced a double-digit deficit against Serbia in the semifinals. The Americans were able to rally for a 95-91 victory, but the same pressure will return today in the gold medal game against France.

“I came into this experience thinking that this would be my one and only time to play in the Olympics and experience this stage,” Curry said. “So that was part of my sense of relief and joy (in the game). I didn’t want to be on the team that, (like) ’04, didn’t make it to the gold-medal game and get a gold medal in my one opportunity here. So you’re thinking about (all that) while you’re still just trying to have fun playing the game that you know. It’s an interesting dynamic, because we all signed up for this, to accomplish a mission, and we’re one game away from doing it.”

Today’s matchup will be the first actual road game for Team USA, which will try to capture the gold in front of a hostile crowd in Paris. France has benefited from the rabid fan support, Amick adds, along with a lineup change that sparked upsets over Canada and Germany on the way to the gold medal contest.

Coach Vincent Collet decided to bench Rudy Gobert and play Victor Wembanyama at center, while inserting Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier into the starting lineup. France has looked much better over the past two games, and that’s without a dominant performance from Wembanyama, who’s shooting just 6-of-27 since knockout play began.

“You expect them to play the game of their life, because they’re gonna have the home court adrenaline (and) they’re riding big momentum after these last two games,” Curry said. “You’ve got to expect them to play great, but we expect that from ourselves as well.”

There’s more from Paris:

Gobert logged nine total minutes in the past two games, but Collet indicated that his role might increase against the taller U.S. team, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “Obviously, Rudy would prefer to play more,” Collet said. “But clearly, for the moment, this adjustment allowed us to play better in these two games. But on the other hand, the cards can be very redistributed on Saturday. Different matchups, with teams with different profiles.”
Evan Fournier is among the French players with experience in facing Team USA, beating them in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and losing a tight game for the Olympic gold medal three years ago in Tokyo, notes Aris Barkis of Eurohoops. He’s looking forward to today’s gold medal rematch. “I think we know that France has a lot of potential, but the potential has got to go on the court,” Fournier said. “We have to be able to play team basketball.”
Wembanyama has been among the most visible athletes at the Olympics, with Nike ads in the Paris subways and a giant image of him placed on scaffolding in the city, per Jeff Zillgitt and Kim Hjelmgaard of USA Today. It’s an extreme amount of pressure for a 20-year-old who’s expected to be the future of both French and NBA basketball. Wembanyama talked this week about having a “feeling of responsibility” as he tries to deliver the nation’s first-ever gold in Olympic basketball.