Guerschon Yabusele

What does an organization do when it has more draft picks than roster spots? It pulls the old draft-and-stash strategy, selecting young international, high potential players who are willing to play a few years overseas before migrating to the NBA. That’s exactly what Boston did with the 16th overall pick in 2016, grabbing French-born Yabusele, who then went on to play for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. The bulky power forward played well in China, averaging 20.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks from 30.0 minutes per game. He then snuck in two games with Boston’s D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, posting 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 27.3 minutes per contest. Unfortunately, the good times ended with Yabusele needing surgery to remove bone spurs from both feet. This forced him to miss the 2017 Summer League, which was unfortunate considering Boston’s need for rebounding help. Terms of Yabusele’s recent contract signing have been held private, so we don’t know if he’s guaranteed a roster spot or could join the Main Red Claws, via a two-way contract, when he’s healthy again in October. That said, Boston’s three-for-one Irving trade frees up roster room for him. The 21-year-old is still in the early development stage of his NBA career. Boston’s aspirations for a Finals appearance will probably hinder Yabusele from seeing meaningful minutes.

With the Celtics holding an abundance of draft picks and not enough roster spots to accommodate all their selections, they picked up French-born big man Yabusele with the 16th overall pick in June with the intention of stashing him overseas. At 6-foot-8 and 270 pounds, Yabusele doesn't fit the conventional measurements NBA teams typically look for in frontcourt players. However, despite what his dimensions suggest, Yabusele takes good care of his body, packing a lot of muscle into that listed weight. He also has lengthy arms, which help offset some his height deficiencies to some degree. From a skills standpoint, Yabusele is a surprisingly adept shooter. He already grades out as an above-average marksman from the outside, as he hit 43 percent of his three-point attempts while playing with French second division club Rouen last season. Celtics coach Brad Stevens has shown an affinity in the past for big men like Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko who can stretch the floor, and Yabusele seems like another player who might fit that mold. Before seriously considering bringing him to the NBA, the Celtics will need Yabusele to make significant strides on the defensive end, where the power forward's lack of lateral mobility can often inhibit him. He'll attempt to hone his craft in the Chinese Basketball Association this season after signing a one-year deal with the Shanghai Sharks following a promising run with the Celtics during summer league.