Around the NBA, numerous teams disappointed their fans and the NBA Community as a whole. The Phoenix Suns had three stars but ended up as the 11th seed, the Atlanta Hawks had a solid cast around Trae Young but lost in the Play-In Tournament, and the Chicago Bulls had an incredible late-season run but fell short near the finish line.
Then, there is the Philadelphia 76ers, who did worse than all three put together. Injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George caught them at a time when they needed wins, but they performed atrociously with a win percentage of 29.3, the fifth-worst in the league.
On the flip side, they have a few reasons to be excited for the future through Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and whoever they draft with the third-overall pick if it is not traded in a package for a superstar like Kevin Durant.
Additionally, the first season of Guerschon Yabusele also had Philadelphia fans out of their seats, as he dominated after returning to the league for the first time since 2018-19 with the Boston Celtics.
The 76ers will do their best to retain him this summer, but because Yabusele was only signed to a one-year deal, he will receive interest from contenders who meet his demand.
The LA Clippers' best use of the mid-level exception is on Guerschon Yabusele from the Philadelphia 76ers
Though he did not win a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics, Guerschon Yabusele gained another shot at playing in the NBA. He took over for his country and had a ferocious poster of LeBron James, which spiked interest from different teams. However, the Philadelphia 76ers appeared to match what Yabusele was looking for, resulting in him signing a one-year, prove-it deal.
With an injured Joel Embiid, Yabusele had eyes watching his every move on both sides of the ball, and he thrived in 70 games, averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, shooting 50.1% from the field and 38.0% from a distance.
Because he was available and stretched the floor at a high level in what was his first real chance in the NBA, the LA Clippers should pay him whatever they can out of the mid-level exception.
He would add a new level to the Clipper's offense and depth, which would be even more of a nightmare for teams to face with Ivica Zubac in the starting lineup.