Wizards Could Sign French Mentor, Top Free Agent

The Washington Wizards are expected to make most of their noise this offseason in the NBA Draft rather than free agency, but that doesn't mean that they won't be players.

The Wizards should be looking for low-risk, high-reward players who could spark value in the locker room at the beginning of the year before a trade by the deadline, similar to Jonas Valanciunas this season.

Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus listed Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele as the No. 13 free agent this offseason, and he could be a fit for the Wizards.

"The Sixers had a long list of teams interested in Yabusele ahead of the NBA trade deadline," Pincus writes.

"With his rights, Philadelphia can only pay the scoring forward/center about $2.9 million. He'll probably get a more significant offer elsewhere, which means the 76ers could need to use the mid-level exception to retain him instead of adding additional talent.

"That's not an ideal situation for a team that has significantly underperformed this season. And Yabusele is not a young player, turning 30 in December. He may find a better opportunity elsewhere next season."

The Wizards won't need to break the bank for Yabusele, a French national team star. The Wizards' connection to France with Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly could be used as a way to convince Yabusele to come to the nation's capital in the offseason.

Yabusele could play next to Sarr in the frontcourt or with Kyshawn George off the bench and fill that forward role that the team doesn't currently have. It's a position that could be filled in the draft, but Yabusele's value goes beyond the court, which is exactly what the Wizards should be targeting when looking for free agents this summer.

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