The Boston Celtics' offseason is about to get busier now that NBA free agency is right around the corner. All 30 teams are free to negotiate with outside free agents beginning on Monday, and the market will officially open on July 6, meaning it might not be long before the Celtics' roster sees new faces or loses familiar ones.
As the Celtics are preparing for a busy summer, some Boston fans are checking in on the franchise's former players before the action begins. Plenty of ex-Celtics will draw attention in the coming days, including one of the team's former draft busts.
Former Celtics PF/C Guerschon Yabusele Reportedly Drawing Interest From Spurs
Several ex-Celtics will be available in free agency, including veteran big man Guerschon Yabusele. The French rebounder made his NBA return this season after spending half a decade overseas, and is reportedly drawing early offseason interest from a Western Conference team.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the San Antonio Spurs are one of the top threats to sign Yabusele in free agency. The 29-year-old's connection to fellow countryman and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama could play a big role in any potential negotiations, per Fischer's "multiple well-placed observers."
Before this season, Yabusele was viewed as one of the bigger draft busts in recent Celtics history. After being selected 16th overall by Boston in 2016, the Dreux, France native averaged 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and .442/.323/.682 splits in 74 games across two seasons. He was then waived by the Celtics in July 2019, leading to his spending time in China, France, and Spain.
After helping Paris to a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, Yabusele signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the 2024-25 season. The former Celtics pick looked like a different player in his North American return, as he averaged career highs in points (11.0), rebounds (5.6), and assists (2.1) while shooting 50.1% from the floor and 38.0% from deep in 70 games (43 starts).
Some teams simply aren't good fits for certain players and vice versa. It's nice to see Yabusele's career on an upward trajectory after his early NBA career didn't go as planned, and it'll be interesting to see where the ex-Celtics big man will play next year — whether that's in San Antonio, Philadelphia, or elsewhere.