Former Celtic Guerschon Yabusele One Step Closer to Joining Sixers

Guerschon Yabusele sends his farewell message to Real Madrid.

Apr 9, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Boston Celtics forward Guerschon Yabusele (30) makes a move to the basket as Washington Wizards guard Tomas Satoransky (31) defends during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE: The Sixers Officially Announced the Signing of Guerschon Yabusele on Thursday.

The Philadelphia 76ers are one step closer to signing French silver medalist Guerschon Yabusele.

Last week, it was revealed the veteran forward was set to make his return to the NBA after a standout performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although several teams showed interest, the Sixers are expected to be the team to land Yabusele’s services for next year.

However, the Sixers haven’t had the chance to make the signing official just yet. Being that Guerschon Yabusele was under contract with Real Madrid at the time of the reported agreement, he had work on a buyout in order to become eligible to sign in the NBA.

It appears Yabusele’s departure with Real Madrid is official. The forward took to Instagram on Thursday to send a message to Real Madrid and its fan base.

“First, I want to thank God for all the blessings in my life in this amazing journey. As I write these lines, I'm very moved. I joined Real Madrid in 2021 at a pivotal moment in my life, with the aim of pushing forward my career. As soon as I arrived, Real Madrid did everything they could to make me and my family feel at home, and I am so thankful for that. I was quickly impressed by the organization, one of the greatest in the world, with which I was lucky enough to win seven trophies. In three years, despite the ups and downs, I've been able to grow as a man, learn from the best, and become a better athlete. Thank you to the club. The entire staff. My teammates, and the fans for these three unforgettable years forever in my heart.”

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A post shared by Guerschon Yabusele (@guerschon__)

The Sixers are expected to bring on Yabusele for the veteran’s minimum for the 2024-2025 NBA season. According to Spotrac, he’s set to make a little over $2 million for the year.

According to several reports, Yabusele’s initial buyout exceeded $2 million. While he was expected to get some financial help from the Sixers in order to get the deal done, they could only offer a fixed amount, fewer than $1 million.

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A season with the Sixers will be a great opportunity for the former 16th overall pick. Although Yabusele has NBA experience, playing in 74 games with the Boston Celtics from 2017 to 2019, he’s bounced around to multiple leagues after getting waived by Boston in 2019.

Perhaps a standout Olympic run coupled with a decent showing as a reserve in Philadelphia could be exactly what the 28-year-old needs to stick around in the Association.

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