Philadelphia 76ers’ biggest mistake in 2025 NBA free agency

Last season, it was clear that the 76ers needed some frontcourt help after letting Tobias Harris go in free agency to pave way for the signing of George. They did try to address that need of theirs by signing Caleb Martin; even though Martin was small for a power forward, he has plenty of experience guarding bigger players.

But perhaps the biggest win for the 76ers in last year’s free agency was their signing of Guerschon Yabusele, someone who established himself well within the radar of NBA teams after impressing for Team France in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yabusele has become a much better player compared to the last time he was in the NBA; in the Olympics, he was guarding LeBron James, was being a nuisance on the glass, and showed as well that he could space the floor with consistency.

The 76ers signed Yabusele to a one-year, $2.1 million deal in free agency and immediately proved himself to be quite the bargain, especially amid Embiid’s injury. Yabusele showed that he can play either big man position, and, perhaps most importantly, stay healthy.

He suited up in 70 games last year and averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per contest on 50/38/73 shooting splits — solid numbers especially for someone who hasn’t played in the NBA for the past five seasons beforehand.

It’s the versatility on both ends of the floor that makes Yabusele a valuable depth piece for any team, and considering that it was the 76ers that gave him another chance in the NBA, the 29-year-old wanted to give Philly a first crack at bringing him back.

Alas, the 76ers, according to Yabusele, did not give him an offer that was worth paying attention to. In the end, he signed with the New York Knicks on a two-year, $12 million deal — a contract that the 76ers could have matched considering that they are still well below the first apron.

Maybe the 76ers wanted to leave as much space as they could so they could re-sign Grimes to a long-term contract. But if that’s all it was going to cost for them to keep Yabusele, then it looks very much like a big mistake that they decided not to.

Maybe Watford could provide a similar impact for the 76ers as Yabusele did. Watford is younger, and he’s shown that he has some passing chops — speaking volumes to his good feel for the game. He projects as a good connecting piece, so maybe the 76ers are on to something by prioritizing him over Yabusele.

But having offensive threats who can defend multiple positions is key to mounting a deep playoff run. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers have proven that this is the recipe for success in today’s pace-and-space NBA. And unlike Yabusele, Watford will be left wide-open at every turn, as he’s a significantly worse three-point shooter than the 29-year-old Frenchman.

Yabusele has also shown, with his performances for the French national basketball team, that he doesn’t shrink under the bright lights. The 76ers fanbase can be notoriously tough to please, but he relishes the challenge instead of wilting under the pressure.

For what it cost the Knicks to sign Yabusele, the 76ers made a huge blunder by letting him go, and to a division rival, no less. Grimes appears to be the priority for the 76ers, and rightfully so, but even then, it’s not a good look for Philly to have let Yabusele go for nothing when they could have traded him at last year’s deadline and at least managed to recoup something of value for him.