Cavs Rumored To Have Interest in Former NBA Player After Strong Olympic Performance

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still looking to add to their roster as the 2024-25 NBA campaign looms over the horizon. Only 12 players are currently on one-way contracts, per Spotrac, meaning the Cavaliers can potentially add three more NBA-caliber players with just over two months to go until the regular-season action begins.

Even though most of the big-name free agents are long gone, there are still plenty of available players who can help the Cavaliers chase a championship. In fact, one rumored target is someone who didn't even play in the United States last season.

Cavaliers News: France's Guerschon Yabusele on Cleveland's Radar

ClutchPoints' Evan Dammarell reports that the Cavaliers could be interested in ex-NBA player Guerschon Yabusele. The veteran forward is coming off a strong Olympic performance with France, which came up short against Team USA in Saturday's gold medal showdown.

Dammarrell adds that Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson — who was an assistant for France — could play a factor in any potential signing.

Yabusele — a former 2016 first-round pick by the Boston Celtics — was one of his country's best performers in France. He averaged 14.0 points and 3.3 rebounds across six games while shooting 51.9% from the field on 9.0 attempts per game. He also registered 20 points in the gold medal matchup, highlighting his ability to step up when it matters most.

After leaving the NBA nearly five years ago, Yabusele has spent the rest of his career overseas. He most recently spent the 2023-24 season with Liga ACB's Real Madrid, averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists with .490/.394/.768 shooting splits across 24 games.

The Cavaliers certainly have an opening for someone like Yabusele. The team's power forward depth is non-existent outside of Evan Mobley, Georges Niang, and Dean Wade. Adding Yabusele to the mix — especially if his Olympic success translates to NBA results — would immediately improve the situation.

Yabusele took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to reveal that he's eyeing a potential NBA return.

The 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward hasn't experienced NBA action since his two seasons with the Celtics (2017-19). He failed to look like a former first-rounder throughout his brief tenure as he only averaged 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds with 45.5 FG% and 32.1 3P% in 74 games.

Hopefully, any potential NBA return has Yabusele looking more like his Olympic self and not his Celtics version. After all, the Cavaliers need all the help they can get given that their 2024-25 NBA Finals odds currently sit at +5000 (15th) on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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