Panathinaikos Continues Strong Roster Building with Another Transfer Coup

French basketball player Guerschon Yabusele is set to join Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, marking his second departure from the NBA.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Yabusele has agreed to a three-year contract with the “Greens.” The deal is reportedly poised to make him one of the three highest-paid players in Europe, following his two-season stint in the NBA.

After a strong return to the league in the 2024/25 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Guerschon Yabusele signed a two-year, $11.2 million deal with the New York Knicks last summer.

However, with the eventual NBA champions, Yabusele found himself with a disappointingly limited role off the bench, averaging just 2.7 points in 41 games. He subsequently restructured his contract to waive his option for the 2026/27 season, facilitating a mid-season trade to the Chicago Bulls.

In Chicago, his performance significantly improved, as he averaged 10.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 26 games, while shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc.

This will be the French forward's second exit from the NBA. After being drafted 16th overall in 2016 by the Boston Celtics, he spent two seasons with the team before leaving the league in 2019 to play overseas.

He will now join another star acquisition, Isaac Bonga, at an ambitious Panathinaikos, who are aiming to return to the top of the EuroLeague. The upcoming season is also expected to see Brancou Badio, one of Valencia's key players from last season, don the green jersey.

On the Old Continent, the 30-year-old Yabusele has also played for ASVEL Villeurbanne (2020-2021) and Real Madrid (2021-2024).