The Knicks are working the phones ahead of the trade deadline, and one name that keeps surfacing is Guerschon Yabusele. According to league sources, New York recently tried to move the French forward-along with second-year wing Pacôme Dadiet-in a deal for San Antonio’s Jeremy Sochan. But the Spurs weren’t biting, largely because they didn’t want to take on Yabusele’s $5.78 million player option for next season.
On paper, it looked like a creative swing by New York: reunite Yabusele with Victor Wembanyama, his teammate from the French national team, and in return, bring in a young, versatile defender in Sochan who fits the Knicks’ hard-nosed identity. But the Spurs passed, and now the Knicks are left trying to find another landing spot for Yabusele-likely one that’ll require them to attach at least a second-round pick to make the deal palatable.
Yabusele has played in 41 games this season, but his role under head coach Mike Brown has been minimal. Averaging just 8.9 minutes per game, he’s been the proverbial “half-man” in Brown’s eight-and-a-half-man rotation. That’s not exactly a recipe for showcasing trade value, especially when rookies like Mohamed Diawara are starting to carve out minutes in that same role.
The challenge for the Knicks is baked into the structure of Yabusele’s contract. Because he signed using the taxpayer midlevel exception, he automatically holds a player option for next season.
That’s a sticking point for front offices around the league-teams don’t want to take on a player who could opt in and clog up future cap flexibility unless they’re getting something in return. That “something” is likely going to be draft capital, even if it’s just a couple of second-rounders.
It’s worth noting that Yabusele’s lack of impact in New York isn’t necessarily a knock on his talent. Brown himself acknowledged early on that Yabusele and Karl-Anthony Towns would face the steepest learning curves in adapting to his system, particularly because both were being asked to toggle between power forward and center. That kind of positional fluidity isn’t easy to master overnight.
But the reality is, Yabusele hasn’t found his rhythm in either role. The Knicks rarely use him at center, which limits his value as a small-ball five-a spot where his mobility and strength could potentially shine. And when he’s slotted in at the four, he hasn’t brought enough to the table on either end of the floor to demand more minutes.
So now we’re at a crossroads. Yabusele wants a bigger role, and the Knicks are open to helping him find it elsewhere.
That’s a reasonable outcome for both sides. But in a league where every front office is looking to win the margins of every trade, no team is going to do New York any favors.
If the Knicks want to move off Yabusele’s contract, they’re going to have to pay the price-likely in the form of draft picks.
It’s not an indictment of Yabusele’s future in the league. Sometimes, fit matters just as much as skill. And right now, the fit in New York just isn’t there.