Sparkling in Philadelphia’s victory against Charlotte on the night of Sunday to Monday, Guerschon Yabusele is gradually establishing himself as a luxury joker for the Sixers. While he made an extremely unfavorable financial transaction by returning to the NBA, the French interior is close to succeeding in his bet on himself.
Even fate decided to side with Guerschon Yabusele. His two missed free throws in the money-time of overtime against the Charlotte Hornets, on the night of Sunday to Monday, could have been costly. But this small gap ultimately proved to be of no consequence thanks to Caleb Martin‘s offensive rebound, which sealed the victory for the Philadephia Sixers (107-105). And one of the best matches of the Frenchman’s NBA career, at the same time.
Author of 20 points (8/13 shooting including 2/4 three-pointers) and 8 rebounds in 31 minutes of play, the French interior, one of the heroes of the French team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with a dunk on LeBron James passed into posterity, quite simply signed his points record in the North American league. Its previous reference brand? Last November 5, against the Phoenix Suns (19 points). While Joel Embiid is still absent, Yabusele, one of the best interior players in the Euroleague in recent years, is gradually establishing himself as a strong element in the Sixers’ rotation. Quite a revenge for someone who is about to take up the immense challenge he had set for himself.
Returning to the NBA this summer after an inconclusive first experience with the Boston Celtics (2017-2019), the 16th choice in the 2016 draft took a bet on himself by accepting a deal that was largely unfavorable financially. After the Olympics, when the Sixers showed interest, Yabusele had one year left on his contract with Real Madrid. To allow Yabusele to leave the Spanish club, finalist of the last edition of the Euroleague, an exit clause set at 2.5 million euros had to be settled. And this is where you need to get out the calculators.
“A sporting and non-financial choice”
NBA regulations prohibit franchises from spending more than $850,000 (764,000 euros). The remaining sum, a little more than 1.7 million euros, was therefore the responsibility of Yabusele, who signed a contract worth 1.9 million euros gross annually with Philadelphia. In the 2024-2025 season, the financial transaction is therefore very unfavorable for the Frenchman.
Engaged for only one season with the Sixers, the “Dancing Bear” is making a real bet on himself. The equation is simple: either Yabusele succeeds in convincing Philadelphia (or another franchise) to sign him a contract – more lucrative – from the 2025-2026 season. Either he fails to stay in the NBA and returns to Europe. “It’s a sporting and not a financial choice,” summarized Olivier Mazet, his agent, in the columns of L’Equipe. “With what he has demonstrated in recent years in the Euroleague and at the Olympics, he is in his favor maximum on the market. If things go badly in the NBA, he will not suffer a devaluation in Europe, quite the contrary.”
The NBA season (82 regular season games, not counting the playoffs) is still long. But at the start of the season, Yabusele, who is averaging 9.1 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes per game, has in any case shown who has what it takes to exist in the Big League.
