The Philadelphia 76ers came into the offseason with two key free agents. Guerschon Yabusele (unrestricted) and Quentin Grimes (restricted) were both free to discuss terms with teams around the league. Yabusele has since left the Sixers for the New York Knicks.
When talking to the media at the Las Vegas Summer League, Sixers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, opened up on losing Yabusele to a conference rival.
“Yeah, that sucked,” Morey said, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “Again, we got several questions on restricted free agency. I do think that the overall structure played into that. We offered him the most we could that wouldn’t limit us and our ability to retain Quentin. That was above minimum. I’ve seen reports saying that that wasn’t, but it was definitely below what he got ended up getting.”
Yabusele joined the Sixers last summer. He established himself as a core member of Nick Nurse’s frontcourt rotation. Unforuntately for the Sixers, the impressive forward will now bolster Mike Brown’s rotation in New York.
Yabusele played in 70 games for the Sixers last season, averaging 11 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He shot 50.1% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.
Sixers Tried to Low-Ball Yabusele
During a recent appearance on SK Week TV, Yabusele explained how the Sixers did make a contract offer this summer. However, the offer was deemed low by Yabusele, forcing him to look elsewhere.
“I was like, ‘Okay, if they want to resign me and then they give me something good, I will come back for sure. And if they want me to leave, then I will leave,’” Yabusele said. “I didn’t have any hard feelings or a hard time. But they almost didn’t make a real offer. They did, but it was really low. So, to be transparent, I felt like, ‘Oh my God, you guys, it seems like you don’t really want me to stay.’ It was a situation, but no hard feelings. I’m always thankful for them. They gave me my second chance.”
Last season, the Sixers struggled with injuries. Yabusele’s consistency was integral to the franchise’s ability to remain somewhat competitive. Now that he’s left the Sixers, Morey must find a suitable replacement. After all, the front-court rotation was problematic with Yabusele, so it will be worse now that he’s gone.
Morey Said He Wanted to Keep Yabusele
When speaking to the media, as part of a recent news conference, Daryl Morey admitted he would like to keep Yabusele around long-term.
“We love what Guerschon was able to bring,” Morey said, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “I think that was a great job by our scouting department. A great job by the coaching staff getting the most out of him. Just like Paul (George), he got pressed into some roles that were a little different from what he thought. We thought he was gonna play more of the 4 and he’s excelled there. He gave us a lot of minutes at the 5 as well.”
With Yabusele now out of the picture, the franchise must try to retain Grimes. Otherwise, Morey has let two key contributors slip through his fingers this summer. And given the struggles of last season, that may not bode well for the team’s chances of success in the upcoming campaign.
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