The 76ers have accomplished something that may have never been done before in NBA History — losing their fan-favorite French power forward to free agency in back-to-back years. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the New York Knicks plan to sign Guerschon Yabusele to a two-year/$12 million contract.
Shortly after the 76ers signed Trendon Watford on Monday evening, it was widely reported that Yabusele was expected to go elsewhere. Many expected the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks to be suitors for him since they had access to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception. However, in a shocking turn of events, New York acquired Yabusele using the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE.
The 76ers could've offered Yabusele the same amount
The worst part is that Philadelphia could’ve offered him the same amount as it would’ve likely had access to the TP-MLE, regardless of a potential Quentin Grimes re-signing. It may have been a case where Yabusele chose the Knicks over the 76ers, and that’s a tough pill to swallow for the Delaware Valley. Despite Philadelphia’s disastrous 2024-25 season, he quickly became a fan favorite amidst the resurgence of his NBA career.
Yabusele played 70 games where he averaged career-highs of 11 points per game on 61.6 true-shooting, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game. With Yabusele entering free agency as one of the better role players available, many expected him to depart from the 76ers. Still, it was presumed that he would only do so if a team offered him a portion of the NTP-MLE. Considering how much Yabusele loved Philadelphia, the fact that he signed to New York on a relatively cheap deal is stunning. Although, it’s yet to be confirmed if the 76ers counter-offered.
Potential Yabusele replacements are scarce
Whether Philadelphia should start Watford at the four remains a debate, but it must continue to add more depth at power forward. As previously mentioned, the 76ers will likely have access to the TP-MLE and veteran minimums to find an ample Yabusele replacement. However, it’s worth noting that a team cannot exceed the second tax apron ($207.8 million) if it uses the TP-MLE.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many obtainable power forwards on the free agency market that the 76ers can get excited about. Some options could be Chris Boucher, Larry Nance Jr, Trey Lyles, Precious Achiuwa, and Bol Bol. Even then, only two to three of those players should start over Watford in theory and none of those players are worth the second apron hard cap. Maybe the 76ers could package Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.4 million), Andre Drummond ($5 million), and draft capital for a better option.