Bucks Miss Out on East Big Man in Free Agency

The Milwaukee Bucks are trying to improve the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. They want him to feel comfortable enough committing to the franchise long-term.

One of the players the Bucks were looking at to help improve their frontcourt is free-agent big man Guerschon Yabusele. Yabusele played last season with the 76ers.

With the Bucks re-signing Bobby Portis, there was a chance they could have seen him as their starting center next year. However, that will no longer be the case. Yabusele will be headed to New Yorks and join the Knicks.

Yabusele has agreed to join the Knicks, landing a two-year, $12 million deal.

Yabusele was coming off a stellar calendar year after having a very impressive performance in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris for Team France. He was a big reason why they were able to make the Gold Medal Game.

Last season, Yabusele signed a deal worth just over $2 million. With the Bucks' cap situation, they are looking for some cheap players who can still make an impact off the bench.

Yabesele would have fit to a tee. Not only does he play with enormous effort, but he can spread the floor and knock down some threes, too. He also played in 70 games, by far the most in his NBA career.

He was the exact kind of player that the Bucks were looking for off the bench. The Bucks would have loved someone who plays with a high level of effort and shoots the three at a high clip. However, after they retooled their roster, they made a major pivot.

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The Bucks had a lot of competition for Yabusele.

Milwaukee is hoping that the signing of Myles Turner helps make up for that. The Bucks are going to be hunting for players who can help them off the bench.

This past season for the 76ers, which was his first NBA season since playing for the Celtics in 2018-19, Yabusele averaged 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from three.

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