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Sixers Officially Sign Breakout Olympics Star

The Sixers reportedly signed Guerschon Yabusele to a one-year deal after an impressive showing in the Summer Olympics earlier this month.

By Jovan Alford

Dec 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers resident of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey speaks with the media before a game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center.
Dec 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers resident of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey speaks with the media before a game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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The Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up NBA free agency with two remaining spots on the 15-man roster for next season. Fans wondered what the team would do with those spots, given that they could use more depth in the frontcourt.

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey found a way to utilize one of those roster spots on Sunday as Philadelphia will be adding one of the breakout stars from the 2024 Summer Olympics.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers signed free agent forward Guerschon Yabusele to a one-year, $2.1 million contract. 

Yabusele had a star-studded performance in the gold medal game against the United States as he went off for 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field in 31 minutes. The former first-round pick averaged 14 points per game in the Olympics as France picked up the silver medal.

After the Olympics ended, the former Celtics forward took to social media and posted, “Been waiting for a 2nd chance.. I’m ready,” hinting towards a potential return to the NBA. 

Yabusele has spent the last three seasons playing with Real Madrid in the Spanish Liga ACB. This past season with Madrid, he averaged 9.6 points per game on 43 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Before joining Real Madrid, the 28-year-old forward played in France with AVSEL (two seasons) and China (one season). 

Yabusele didn’t have a great first stint in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, who waived him in the summer of 2019 after taking him with the 16th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8 forward played 74 games with the Celtics, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

The Sixers will hope Yabusele can bring that same energy, athleticism, and three-point prowess off the bench this season that he showed in the Olympics.

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