The Dancing Bear is on the move. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Boston Celtics will waive former first-round pick Guerschon Yabusele.
Boston Celtics forward Guerschon Yabusele – the team’s No. 16 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft – will be waived, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 10, 2019
Yabusele's release creates some crucial roster flexibility for Boston, who to this point carried the maximum 15 players, including rookie draft picks Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, and Carsen Edwards. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge now has one more open roster spot to fill over the remainder of the offseason.
The No. 16 overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, Yabusele has yet to fulfill the promise that once made him a potential building block for Boston. At 6-foot-8, listed at a forgiving 260 pounds, the French import has one of the most unique physical profiles in the league, with quick feet, long arms, and overall coordination that belies his natural size. But those rare attributes have arguably been as big a detriment to his development as a benefit, with Yabusele stuck between positions in the frontcourt due to his inherent defensive limitations and slow to make real progress as a three-point shooter, the potential swing skill that could drastically alter the trajectory of his career.
In 41 appearances last season, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, shooting 45.5 percent overall and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc, numbers right in line with those from 2017-18. Yabusele enjoyed a much higher degree of success with both the CBA's Shanghai Sharks in 2017 and multiple, brief stints with the G-League's Maine Red Claws, indicative of both his raw talent and the challenges he'll continue to face against the size, length, and athleticism of NBA players.
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