It felt like a gut punch when Guerschon Yabusele signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Knicks in free agency last summer. Little did the Philadelphia Sixers know that they wouldn't have to wait long after the season started for that decision to play in their favor. He averaged just 8.9 minutes over 41 games before New York sent him to Chicago, and now, the forward is back playing overseas after agreeing to a three-year deal with Panathinaikos.
Imagine what it would've been like to see Yabusele help the Knicks win their first title in 53 years, though, technically speaking, he did, but not in a way that made Sixers fans regret his departure. He forfeited his $5.8 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which cleared the way for New York to trade him to Chicago. His generosity made the Jose Alvarado trade possible.
That speaks to the kind of person that Yabusele is. Watching him return to the NBA in Philadelphia after his play at the 2024 Olympics was inspiring. He quickly became a fan favorite, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
Free agent forward Guerschon Yabusele has agreed to a three-year deal with Panathinaikos, league sources told @hoopshype. Yabusele will be one of the top three highest-paid European players. He's averaged 8.3 points over the past two NBA seasons with the 76ers, Bulls and Knicks. pic.twitter.com/UjfAxXy5S0
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 8, 2026
Former Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele signs with Panathinaikos
For Yabusele, joining Panathinaikos allows him to return to being a top player in the EuroLeague following a shaky season in the NBA. After he waived his player option in February, he said he "wanted to play basketball at the end of the day." He will get to do just that now.
The Sixers should be happy that, in the end, Yabusele got what he wanted. They can be happy, too, that he didn't find that with the Knicks, though it was still hard to root against him, even in New York, and that says a lot.
Philadelphia has dealt with enough over the years, and losing Yabusele could've been something the Sixers regretted for a long while. The hype surrounding the Knicks signing him last summer made it feel like the pain would sting for much longer than a few months. It sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?
Andre Drummond is the latest Sixer to leave the team in free agency, signing with New York as the Knicks' new backup center after Mitchell Robinson signed with the Celtics. They can't afford for the center to fizzle out the way that Yabusele did, and that probably won't happen. At least the Sixers have Ariel Hukporti now!
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