Headed by de facto GM Brad Stevens and new ownership, the Boston Celtics have a grueling offseason ahead of them. Getting below the second apron threshold will be the priority over the summer months, as cost-cutting moves will be made, inevitably ending the tenures of multiple Celtics fan favorites.
With new reports involving Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday amid their questionable futures with the team, and the reality of Jayson Tatum missing all of next season, holes will need to be filled on this Celtics roster via trade or through free agency.
Luckily for the Celtics, they won’t have to look too far into the past to find a former first-round pick set to become a free agent this offseason.
After an unsuccessful stint in Boston from 2016-2019, Guerschon Yabusele bet on himself overseas, and the work is paying off. Over the past year, he’s won a silver medal with Team France in the Olympics and carved out a prominent role with the 76ers this past season. Now, he’ll be reaping the benefits of NBA free agency, looking to cash in with one of many contenders in need of a versatile wing player.
Tatum’s injury, paired with the uncertain futures of Al Horford and Luke Kornet in Boston, makes the Celtics heavily in play for Yabusele’s services when the free agency negotiation period begins on June 30th.
Guerschon Yabusele Should Be on Celtics Radar This Offseason
When Yabusele arrived on the scene in 2017, there were limited opportunities for growth on the Celtics roster. At the time, the Celtics had a stacked room of forwards, including Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, and Marcus Morris. Now, they are without depth at the forward position in the wake of the Tatum injury.
As he returned home to Europe after the NBA season, Yabusele sat down with HoopsHype at the 2025 Adidas Eurocamp to discuss his career thus far and how it feels to be a part of NBA free agency. While his answers didn’t relay any connection to one specific team in terms of where he decides to play moving forward, he thanked the Celtics organization for getting him to where he is now.
“And it helped me for the second part of my career after that. It really pushed me. It really, like, I had that mentality of loving that basketball. Because I know I love basketball. But if you’re in a situation that you don’t play, it’s hard. I missed it. And I was like, you know what? I want to play now. I want to be somewhere where I always play, so I always try to pick the right situation now for me.”Guerschon Yabusele
The 29-year-old saw a career resurrection with the 76ers last season. In 70 games (43 starts), Yabusele averaged 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting over 50% from the field and 38% from three.
At 6-foot-8, the “Dancing Bear” could solve a lot of the Celtics’ problems if any of their wings/bigs move teams this offseason. He could play as a small-ball center, like we’ve seen Al Horford do so much, or he could play as a versatile stretch big that can make plays at the rim as well.
Yabusele stated that the most important thing for him when weighing teams this offseason will be his ability to play meaningful minutes and gain a solidified spot in the rotation, something he didn’t do in two seasons with the Celtics.
“Now that I’ve been on the team where I played and a lot of minutes too, I want to be in a situation where I can play too. I’m not asking to play 40 minutes a game. That would be crazy. But just to be in the right situation for me, for the team, having a goal that we can achieve and have a bunch of guys looking to the right direction.”Guerschon Yabusele
If I were Brad Stevens, Yabusele would be one of the first players looked at during this free agency cycle. His familiarity with the team, plus his ability to play both forward positions and center, makes him the perfect player to target while Jayson Tatum rehabs his Achilles.
The Celtics will still be competitive without Tatum and are in need of a forward, two things that Yabusele will be looking for when trying to find his next team. If Yabusele’s asking price isn’t too steep, a reunion could be in place when free agency begins later this month.
