If the Bucks are serious about rebalancing their roster and moving on from Kyle Kuzma, there’s a tailor-made replacement hiding in plain sight: former Philadelphia 76er Guerschon Yabusele.
The 6-foot-8 forward quietly re-entered the NBA radar with a one-year contract with the Sixers after a strong stint overseas prompted the league to take notice. He’s exactly the type of under-the-radar gamble that Milwaukee should be pursuing: he’s tough, versatile, and plays with the kind of controlled physicality that’s been missing from Milwaukee’s frontcourt since P.J. Tucker walked.
According to Spotrac, Yabusele is now an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year contract with the Sixers worth $2.08 million. If that's the amount he's still expecting after his time in Philadelphia, the Bucks can certainly afford that with the mid-level exception and disabled player exception still in their arsenal.
Guerschon Yabusele solves multiple problems at once while being the perfect Kyle Kuzma replacement
If the playoffs haven't already made it clear, the Bucks are in dire need of someone who can play the role they hoped Kyle Kuzma would play. He's still on the roster, of course, and he could very well still pan out after a full off-season as a Milwaukee Buck. But just the same, the Bucks should be looking at all available options to play that role.
At the time, letting go of Khris Middleton for Kuzma meant the Bucks were hoping for their third starter with the move. That means netting someone who can score the basketball without bogging down the offense, doesn’t demand touches, and holds up defensively on the perimeter across several positions.
Yabusele checks every box. He’s a big body who's unafraid of letting fly from deep with legitimate pick-and-pop value. He also defends like his minutes depend on it (because for a long time, they did) with a motor that not many in the association can match. But perhaps most importantly, it seems like he's an attainable target if the Bucks decide on him.
"Multiple well-placed observers are describing San Antonio as the foremost threat to sign Yabusele away from the 76ers, but I'm also told that Philadelphia has not yet abandoned hope of convincing him to stay. The Spurs certainly boast a persuasive recruiter in the Yabusele chase — his Olympic teammate Victor Wembanyama — but word is Milwaukee is another team to watch here," longtime NBA inside Marc Stein wrote in his June 29 dispatch of The Stein Line.
Yabusele's scoring isn't too shabby either and should, at the very least, be more efficient than Kuzma's. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 70 games this season on 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from distance.
According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers scored +7.5 more points per 100 possessions in the minutes that Yabusele was on the floor, which puts him in the 94th percentile in offensive rating among bigs. Per PBP Stats, their net rating also increased by plus-6.16 when Yabusele played.
His game is built on tough screens, timely help defense, and low-maintenance scoring, which makes him a plug-and-play fit next to Giannis. And unlike Kuzma, whose contract and shot selection can be erratic, Yabusele brings the consistency of someone who had to fight to earn every possession.
Kuzma’s playoff no-show and hefty contract have made him a trade candidate this summer. But swapping him out doesn’t just require finding a new scorer; it means finding someone who doesn’t replicate his flaws. Yabusele won’t give you 20 points a night, but he won’t kill your defensive rotations or freeze out shooters, either. He plays within a system, brings real toughness, and spaces the floor in ways Milwaukee’s secondary lineups desperately need.
With Yabusele still flying under the radar and likely available for the minimum or a team-friendly deal, this is exactly the kind of move that lets Milwaukee retool without spending assets. He gives them lineup flexibility, insurance at the four, and a rugged defender to throw at bigger wings.
The Bucks can’t afford another summer of passive tweaks. If Kuzma is eventually moved (and all signs suggest they’re open to it), then Guerschon Yabusele should be the first name on the call sheet.