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New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele recently reflected on his brief stint with the Philadelphia 76ers and shared his candid perspective on what led to the team’s disappointing 2024–25 season. Speaking on The Roommates Podcast alongside Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, Yabusele pointed to midseason roster turnover as the key factor that disrupted the team’s chemistry.
“I feel like we tried and then what really changed the team a little bit was, in my opinion, was the trades,” Yabusele said. “Because I feel like we was there. Guys were just injured. We should have trust a little bit more that and try to let the guys come back to be able to pursue, try to get to the playoffs. And then I feel like when we changed that, basically we changed four guys or something like that. And then there's like four new guys coming up and then it was a lot of guys that keep getting signed for 10 day contracts here and there. So, it was it was hard to find the chemistry, you know, with the teammates.”
Yabusele, 29, returned to the NBA during the 2024 season after last playing for the Boston Celtics in 2018–19. He signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia following his Olympic campaign with the French national team. In his return season, he posted career highs across the board, averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 50.1% from the field and 38.0% from three-point range in 27.1 minutes per contest over 70 appearances.
Guerschon Yabusele cites lack of continuity in 76ers’ collapse
While much of the focus during the 76ers’ 24–58 campaign centered around Joel Embiid’s health issues and Paul George’s decline in availability, Yabusele emphasized that the organization’s roster decisions were more to blame. He suggested the front office lacked patience and prematurely disrupted a group that could have succeeded with better continuity.
Philadelphia made several smaller moves throughout the season, none of which were major blockbusters but still affected the rotation. The team traded away Caleb Martin and acquired Quentin Grimes from the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to the season, they dealt sharpshooter Buddy Hield to the Golden State Warriors and sent Reggie Jackson to the Washington Wizards. The subsequent influx of short-term signings and 10-day contracts made it difficult for the core group to gel, according to Yabusele.
The 76ers finished the season in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, missing the playoffs and instead landing the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which they used to select guard V.J. Edgecombe. Despite his breakout year, Yabusele received only modest offers in free agency and ultimately signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Knicks.
His comments underscore the growing concern about roster continuity and internal decision-making in Philadelphia as the franchise looks to reestablish itself around Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and a developing young core heading into the 2025–26 season.
