Guerschon Yabusele’s time in Boston is over.
According to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, the team is waiving Yabusele, the 16th pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
The move does not come as a surprise, with Yabusele going into his third year in the league and playing poorly in the Las Vegas summer league. He has only made one field goal in two games and looks lost in a setting where two years of NBA experience should be a tremendous advantage.
Yabusele’s thick frame and gregarious nature has earned him some cult status on social media, but that’s been the only positive impact he’s had in Boston. He’s averaged just 2.3 points on 44.2 percent shooting over 74 games, and managed only 32 percent on 3-pointers.
Yabusele was drafted 16th overall, which seemed like a reach at the time but the Celtics had limited roster spots and Danny Ainge was unable to package picks into a deal. The Yabusele selection was a “draft and stash,” where teams draft an international player and keep him overseas for some time so they have the rights to a guy they like while he plays and develops with another professional team.
Yabusele spent the 2016-17 season in China, and while the Celtics would have preferred he spend at least one more season overseas, he decided to come to Boston. Though he was nimble enough to be called “the dancing bear,” his raw skills never materialized into NBA-level talent.
By the end in Las Vegas, the only question left was whether Yabusele would remain with the team just so the Celtics could use the $3.1 million salary in a potential trade, or whether he would be cut. While the former plan had merit, the Celtics will be out of roster spots after rookie Carsen Edwards’ deal is finalized. This means Boston would need to open a spot if they feel the need to sign someone else.
LAST SEASON was a disappointment for Boston, as was the beginning of the offseason. But Danny Ainge recovered from the player losses by bringing on three-time All-Star Kemba Walker. Brad Stevens sees it as the continuation of a positive trend.
“I think we’ve been fortunate,” Stevens told reporters in Las Vegas. “Obviously this past year didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but for the better part of this time it’s gone pretty darn well and so we’ve actually been fortunate to have had that be the case more often than not. Obviously with Al a few years ago and Gordon and Kemba and others that have chosen on lesser deals to come. So Boston’s a special place, it’s a special place to play and we’re excited about it. And he’s a neat guy so I’m looking forward to having him on board.”
The “neat guy” aspect of the Walker signing, as well as other moves made by the Celtics seem to counteract some level of locker room toxicity of last season. Stevens wouldn’t take the chance to throw shade on anyone from last year’s team.
“If it doesn’t work, it’s not because guys aren’t good guys,” Stevens said. “Everybody in that locker room is well intentioned, everybody is a good guy. We didn’t fit, ya know? I think that’s part of it. Sometimes, that happens. Anytime you have a relationship, it doesn’t always fit together. I don’t have anything bad to say about anybody and I don’t want to make it look like, by saying it’s becoming a priority all of a sudden, that it wasn’t before. It’s always been one.”
Boston had opportunities to take reclamation projects but passed. Kevin Porter Jr. is amazingly talented but had issues at USC. The notoriously gruff DeMarcus Cousins was an all-NBA talent before his injury but he signed for less with the Los Angeles Lakers than Enes Kanter did with Boston. The Celtics can’t talk about why they made their decisions, but it’s telling that they added good locker room guys with all of their draft picks and signings.
Stevens and the Celtics want to create a certain culture in Boston. Last year’s team was a bit of a detour from that. The choices they made this year was undoubtedly in part to keep the organization “special,” and continue attracting high-level talent in the future.
CLIPPERS: Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are officially on board after Los Angeles completed its blockbuster trade with Oklahoma City to acquire George and Leonard reportedly signed a three-year max contract.
The Clippers sent the Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, forward Danilo Gallinari and five first-round draft picks.
Leonard’s deal could be worth nearly $110 million – although the last year is at his option, meaning he and George could both be free agents in 2021. They both will have options that summer.
TIMBERWOLVES: Minnesota is declining to match an offer sheet to guard Tyus Jones, clearing the way for him to join the Memphis Grizzlies.
ESPN had reported that Jones and the Grizzlies had agreed to a three-year offer sheet worth $28 million. The 23-year-old Jones averaged 6.9 points, 4.8 assists and 22.9 minutes for the Timberwolves this past season.
MAVERICKS: Dallas signed Seth Curry to complete the guard’s return after a year away and re-signed restricted free agent forward Maxi Kleber.
Curry signed a $32 million, four-year contract after spending one season with Portland. Kleber is returning on a $35 million, four-year deal.
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