Raptors could fill a need in free agency by signing breakout Olympic star

Could the Raptors sign Guerschon Yabusele?

Yabusele's run in the Olympics put him firmly on the NBA's radar, and he expressed a desire to return to the league in the aftermath of France's run to a silver medal.

The Toronto Raptors are remarkably thin at forward, with Scottie Barnes and rookie second-rounder Jonathan Mogbo the only true forwards on the roster. Could they benefit from adding a powerhouse like Yabusele to the mix?

The answer is likely "it depends" because of a number of factors. What sort of contract would Yabusele be looking for to return to the NBA? He has a large buyout of $2.5 million with Real Madrid, so the Raptors would need to help him make a lot of that up in his deal. He won't sign for merely a minimum deal.

Toronto has its full Mid-Level Exception available to it, so they could sign him to a larger deal, but that has implications for the team moving forward. If Yabusele's game again doesn't translate to the NBA, the Raptors will have tied up a lot of future money in a player who was always going to be a bench option for the team. Little upside and a lot of risk equals a bad deal.

Where things get interesting is looking a year into the future. Yabusele's contract with Real Madrid expires after this year, and the Raptors or any other team could bring him over on a deal next summer. That may be a better time for Toronto to consider signing him, with a year more of data to consider - on both Yabusele and his jumper, and rookie Jonathan Mogbo and his ability to be the energy 4 behind Barnes.

It was an impressive showing for Yabusele, but at best he's likely a bench player in the NBA, not a starter. For all that he snatched the spotlight in the Paris Olympics, he is not going to be that level of star outside of the international stage. But in three years at the World Cup and four in Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympics, the Dancing Bear could be a threat to the US once again.