The Knicks are working the phones ahead of the trade deadline, and one name they're actively trying to move is Guerschon Yabusele. According to league sources, New York has reached out to teams like the Spurs and Pelicans in hopes of flipping Yabusele for a more productive bench piece. But so far, talks haven’t gone far - and the holdup is pretty clear.
Yabusele holds a $5.7 million player option for next season, and given how this year’s gone for him, he’s almost certainly picking that up. He’s fallen out of the Knicks’ rotation, and that kind of salary commitment for a player with limited on-court impact is giving front offices around the league pause.
While the Knicks explore NBA options, there’s some overseas noise as well. Israeli outlet Sport5 reported that EuroLeague club Hapoel Tel Aviv is in discussions with Yabusele, should he decide to leave the NBA. He’s reportedly on the radar for several top European teams, but there’s a catch - he can’t head overseas unless he's bought out and waived, which seems unlikely given that player option looming for next year.
Yabusele addressed the rumors after Tuesday’s game, and while he didn’t shut the door on anything, he made it clear that nothing is imminent.
“I ain’t closing no door on nothing. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.
“I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to be. So right now I can tell you nothing has been discussed or signed or anything like that.
I’m a Knicks player at the end of the day. There’s nothing with that.
But there’s been teams calling, so yeah, I feel like the report was just them saying they want me and then everybody thought that I signed something already. No, nothing like that.
But there’s some teams out there that we heard are getting ready to sign me if I go back that way. We’ll see what happens.”
So for now, Yabusele remains in limbo - on the Knicks' roster but outside the rotation, with both NBA and international teams monitoring the situation.
Elsewhere in New York:
Jalen Brunson found himself at the center of some postgame chatter after the Knicks’ 17-point loss to the Mavericks back on January 19. Reports suggested there was a players-only meeting, but Brunson says that’s not quite what happened.
“It was just me voicing my opinion after the game against Dallas,” he clarified. “It wasn’t me calling a team meeting.
We meet after games. I said something before coach walked in.
That’s it.”
It’s a good reminder that not every locker room conversation is a dramatic moment - sometimes it’s just a leader speaking up after a tough loss.
Speaking of leadership, head coach Mike Brown’s belief in Landry Shamet is starting to pay off. Shamet came into training camp on a non-guaranteed deal, one of three players fighting for a roster spot.
Then came a shoulder injury in November that could’ve derailed his season - but Brown stood by him. At one point, he even told reporters he’d give up his own salary to keep Shamet around.
That kind of support doesn’t go unnoticed, and it’s clear Brown had a vision for Shamet’s role even before officially landing the job.
Injury-wise, the Knicks are still without guard Miles McBride, who’s missing his fifth straight game due to lingering left ankle issues. He originally suffered a high ankle sprain back in early December, which cost him eight games. He returned for a 15-game stretch, but the team is now managing the injury again as a precaution.
With the trade deadline fast approaching, there’s plenty of chatter around who might be on the move. Yabusele leads the list of potential trade candidates, followed by Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti. Whether the Knicks can find a taker for Yabusele’s contract remains to be seen - but it’s clear they’re trying.