Boston Celtics bruiser forward Guerschon Yabusele has been playing limited minutes for the team ever since being drafted 16th overall in 2016. Despite not getting much exposure on the court, Yabusele says that he wants to stay in Boston.
Yardbarker's Arthur Hill wrote about Yabusele's future with the Celtics, including an imposed deadline on whether the team will pick up the third-year option for the 6-foot-7 power forward.
“I would love to be back here with the team,” he said. “The Celtics are a great organization, so if I have a chance to be back here, I would love to do that.”
Hill also summarized the good problem that the Celtics will be pondering on for the next three days.
The team’s other option decisions are easy, with Jayson Tatum sure to get $7.83M in his third season and Jaylen Brown $6,534,829 in his fourth. Committing $3,117,240 to Yabusele, who isn’t part of the rotation, is a tougher call, especially with the team projected to be well into luxury tax territory if Kyrie Irving and Al Horford both opt out and re-sign as expected.
Adding in tax payments, the final cost for Yabusele would be in excess of $6M, which is a high price tag for a player who is only playing 3.8 minutes per night and got into just 33 games as a rookie.
Head coach Brad Stevens and the Celtics already have a slew of excellent combo forwards. While having a deep lineup is an advantage in this league, it also presents problems such as this.
Yabusele, 22, has the size and mobility to be a modern power forward in this era. He has a creative touch around the rim and has the elite athleticism to go with it. However, a below-average defensive capability could be what's holding him back from Stevens' rotation.
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