No team has disappointed more than the Philadelphia 76ers this season, with them on pace to have the sixth-worst record in the NBA. This despite them being viewed as one of the best teams entering this season. Unfortunately for the Sixers, injuries derailed their season, with Joel Embiid being ruled out for the remainder of the season while Paul George has played through injury and played poorly.
Luckily, if they play their cards right, they can keep their top-six protected first-round pick out of the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. That could give them a chance to add a top-five draft pick to their roster in the hopes that they can come back stronger next season. That is entirely possible, but they may be without one of their key contributors next season.
Guerschon Yabusele is having a terrific season for the Sixers, even despite his team's struggles. His play could make it difficult for the Sixers to keep him next season with him only being on a one-year minimum contract.
The Sixers can offer him up to the mid-level exception, but the direction of their team is up in the air considering Joel Embiid's health. They may not want to make a long-term commitment to another 30-year-old player when they don't know whether they will be rebuilding or not. That could open the door for the San Antonio Spurs to swoop in and sign him.
The San Antonio Spurs must chase Guerschon Yabusele this summer.
The Spurs likely won't have cap space this summer, but they will have access to their mid-level exception, and with them in need of more size up front, they could offer him a lucrative 4-year deal. That would pair him with fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, with the two players having already played together on the French national team during the Olympics.
The move wouldn't just be to appease Wembanyama since he would also help the Spurs address frontcourt depth issues. Yabusele can play both power forward and center and has actually played center for most of the season on the Sixers.
While he is a mediocre rebounder for a big man, he has the mobility to play power forward and the size to play center, with him also being a 40% 3-point shooter to boot. That would make him a solid fit for the Spurs, who need both shooting and options at power forward and center.
The Spurs could continue to start Harrison Barnes next to Wembanyama next season, while Yabusele can play backup center alongside Jeremy Sochan. Those four players would allow the Spurs to be able to mix and match their frontcourt with him in the fold. Beyond next season, Yabusele would make sense as a starter next to Wembanyama, giving them both size and spacing.
All in all, with the Sixers season heading nowhere fast, Yabusele can continue to show teams what he can do ahead of free agency. With the Sixers likely limited in what they can offer Yabusele and the uncertainty surrounding the direction of their franchise, another team could swoop in and sign him away. Given his potential fit with the Spurs, he could be near the top of their free agency wish list.