The Philadelphia 76ers didn't have a very exciting offseason in regards to free agency, as the franchise sort of stayed put in terms of its roster construction. However, Philadelphia did lose one of its key contributors from last season in Guerschon Yabusele, and it's a departure that Philly fans can live with, given the team Yabusele elected to go to.
The forward inked a two-year, $11.2 million deal with the New York Knicks following the 2025 season.
Yabusele put together a heartwarming comeback story for fans to root for last season. After getting pushed out of the NBA after the 2018-19 campaign, the 6'8 forward inched his way back in after five seasons overseas, earning a one-year, $2.1 million deal with Philadelphia.
Guerschon Yabusele Goes from Fan Favorite to Villain This Offseason
Daryl Morey picked up the Frenchman as a flyer, and it paid off big time. Yabusele ended up becoming a big part of the Sixers' rotation, averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 50.1% shooting from the floor and 38.0% shooting from three-point range. Yabusele started 43 games for Philly.
As the season went on, it became clear that Yabusele would get paid; the question just became by whom.
The Sixers had a lot of mouths to feed. Quentin Grimes, who Philly traded for at the 2025 trade deadline, was playing the best basketball of his career and looked like a future young cornerstone for the franchise. Given that Philadelphia already owes $715 million to the combination of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, paying both Grimes and Yabusele wasn't a guarantee.
Sixers fans later found out that Yabusele was on the way out, and was headed to a divisional rival in the Knicks. He was a fan favorite through his one season in Philly, but Yabusele will now be a villain.
Yabusele will fit an interesting role with New York, given that the Knicks retained practically every critical piece of their roster that went to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. With his ability as an outside shooter, Yabusele will give the Knicks much more opportunity to free up the paint and allow guards to attack the basket one-on-one, which Jalen Brunson thrives at.
The French big man was a great, short-lived story in Philly, but fans won't miss Yabusele after he joined a divisional rival.