The Sixers are set to sign one of the most impressive players from the Paris Olympics.
The team has agreed to a one-year, minimum salary deal with French forward Guerschon Yabusele, a source confirmed Sunday to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania first reported the Sixers were in serious talks with Yabusele and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the $2.1 million agreement.
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Nicknamed “The Dancing Bear,” Yabusele was listed at approximately 6-foot-8, 270 pounds by Real Madrid last season. According to Charania, Yabusele is “resolving his $2.5 million contract buyout” with Real Madrid and league rules would allow the Sixers to pay up to $850,000 of that buyout amount.
The Celtics took Yabusele with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He played limited NBA minutes for Boston across the 2017-18 and ’18-19 seasons, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 74 appearances.
The 28-year-old has developed considerably since then as a multi-faceted scorer who’s quite agile for his size. Per RealGM, Yabusele averaged 9.7 points and 4.0 rebounds for Real Madrid across all competitions last season and shot 44.5 percent from three-point range on 2.7 attempts per game.
Over France’s last two wins to reach the gold medal game in Paris, Yabusele posted 39 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the floor. He scored 20 points in the team’s final loss to the Americans, including an audacious, big-time dunk on LeBron James.
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Yabusele should be an option for Sixers head coach Nick Nurse at the four behind Caleb Martin. Once they sign him, the Sixers will be one under the maximum of 15 players on standard NBA contracts.
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said last month the team intended to keep an open roster spot entering the season.
“As we have injuries or the needs really arise where Coach Nurse sees something we need to do, we’ll address those,” Morey said.