Guerschon Yabusele has been a rare bright spot in a disastrous season for the Philadelphia 76ers. Daryl Morey added the powerful forward after he impressed for France at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Yabusele signed a one-year veteran minimum deal with Philadelphia. As such, he will enter unrestricted free agency in the summer. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Yabusele will likely cost ‘some or all’ of the Sixers mid-level exception if they look to retain him in the summer.
“Guerschon Yabusele has been one of their few bright spots this season. He signed a one-year, veteran-minimum contract with the Sixers after his breakout run at the 2024 Olympics last summer,” Pincus wrote. “Philly probably needs to use some or all of its mid-level exception to keep him beyond this year. The good news is that Quentin Grimes, whom the Sixers acquired before the trade deadline from the Dallas Mavericks, will be a restricted free agent. Philadelphia can and should match offers to retain him.”
Morey is expected to be busy rebuilding the Sixers’ supporting cast during the summer. As such, Yabusele may be deemed too expensive by the front office. Therefore, the impressive forward could find himself signing with a different team around the league, making him a legitimate flight risk for the Sixers.
Sixers’ Paul George Called Out for Chasing Money
Paul George was the Sixers’ marquee addition this summer. The veteran forward signed a four-year $212 million contract with the franchise. According to Gilbert Arenas, George joined Philadelphia’s roster due to the money and not because he believed in the basketball project.
“What went wrong? Preseason, maybe an emotional departure,” Arenas said. “$160 million to lose in the Western Conference Finals or $212 million to not make the playoffs? When you start off with bad energy, it ends with bad energy.”
George has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. He is working with doctors to find a solution to persistent knee and groin issues. However, even when healthy, George has under-delivered for the Sixers. In 41 outings, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists, hardly a strong return on investment from the aging forward.
Sixers’ Could Begin a Rebuild With Kon Knueppel
According to a March 19 mock draft from The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, the Sixers could acquire Duke guard Kon Knueppel with the sixth pick in the upcoming draft.
“Knueppel was one of the players who helped himself most in the conference tournament cycle, leading Duke without Flagg,” Vecenie wrote. “In the team’s three ACC tournament games, he averaged 21 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He showed executives he can be both a strong off-ball scorer and a potentially interesting on-ball player who can dribble, pass and shoot. He’s a terrific shooter, having hit 39 percent from 3 on nearly six 3-point attempts per game.”
A guard rotation of Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes and Knueppel would be a solid trio, capable of improving in the coming years and becoming a core part of the team’s immediate and long-term future. Of course, the Sixers must finish within the top-six of the draft lottery in order to retain their pick, otherwise, it will default to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Still, if the Sixers are making a selection on draft night, Knueppel would be a smart path forward, especially if Daryl Morey has one eye on a full-scale rebuild.
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