The Philadelphia 76ers let Guerschon Yabusele walk in free agency after an impressive season. Fans hated the move, but it doesn’t look so foolish now. Yabu struggled to get on the floor for the Knicks, and things got so bad that New York moved on at the trade deadline. The Bulls forced the 6’7 forward to amend his contract to stick in the NBA. He is getting more minutes, but the results have been disastrous in Chicago.
Yabsuele averaged 10.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 steals in 25.0 minutes per game over his first 25 contests with the Bulls. He is shooting just 40.3 percent from the field. Those stats aren’t bad, but the results have been. The Bulls are 5-20 in those contests and have a negative 19.6 net rating with Yabu on the floor. They are 15.4 points per 100 possessions better when the 30-year-old is on the bench.
Yabusele had a strong start in Chicago, but things quickly fizzled. He is now fighting for his place in the NBA. Sixers fans know Yabu spent five years playing overseas after struggling in his first two seasons with the Celtics. His year in Philadelphia was his NBA return. The Sixers look good for letting him walk, as the veteran forward may not playing his way out of the league.
76ers look smarter by the day for letting Guerschon Yabusele walk in free agency
Sixers fans were upset when Yabu left. Philly was unwilling to offer him the taxpayer mid-level exception after his lone season with the franchise. They had to keep their spending in check and didn’t want to exceed the first apron.
Yabusele averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 steals in 27.1 minutes for the 76ers. He shot 50.1 percent from the field and over 38 percent on his 3-point attempts. It was a lost season for Philadelphia, but the 6’7 forward was one of the lone bright spots. Fans thought he deserved a raise, and Yabu got it from the Knicks.
It turns out Daryl Morey and the 76ers front office were right. Yabusele has struggled to impact winning. The Knicks couldn’t find him consistent minutes, despite being all-in. Now, the Bulls have been terrible on both ends of the floor in his playing time. Chicago’s 104.3 offensive rating with Yabu would rank 30th for the full season, and the 123.9 defensive rating would also be dead last in the NBA over the year.
The Sixers drafted VJ Edgecombe and knew they’d be trying to contend. Yabusele is an undersized forward. He struggles on defense and needs the right players around him to thrive on the other end. Philly knew he would be a reserve on a contending roster. They only wanted him back on a minimum deal, so Yabu found more elsewhere.
The Philadelphia 76ers keep looking smarter as Guerschon Yabusele proves them right. Yabu is a minimum salary player in the NBA who struggles to impact winning. The problems have been on full display in New York and Chicago this season.
Yabusele may be out of the league after this disastrous season. Â The Sixers knew what he could do and wisely moved on at the right time. Credit to Morey for nailing this one. Clearly, the fans' hate was unjustified.