The New York Knicks came into this season with a clear objective: bolster their depth without blowing past the tax apron. After swinging a major trade for Karl-Anthony Towns back in September, their financial flexibility tightened, forcing them to get creative with roster construction. One of those calculated moves was bringing in Guerschon Yabusele - a player whose NBA story had once seemed written, only to catch fire again overseas and briefly reignite during a stint with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Fast forward to now, and Yabusele’s second NBA act is hitting some turbulence.
The 30-year-old French forward has struggled to find his footing in New York, and on Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers, with both Towns and Mitchell Robinson sidelined, he had a chance to show he still belonged in the Knicks’ rotation. Instead, it was a rough outing - one that underscored why he’s been sliding down the depth chart.
Yabusele logged just 11 minutes in the Knicks’ win over Indiana, but they were a tough 11. He finished the night with a -17 plus-minus - a stat that doesn’t always tell the whole story, but in this case, it matched the eye test.
Early in the first half, a particularly rough sequence summed up his night: turnovers, missed shots, and defensive lapses that piled up fast. Knicks play-by-play legend Mike Breen didn’t sugarcoat it on the broadcast.
“Every turnover, every missed shot, every defensive mistake is so magnified because he so desperately wants to play well,” Breen said, capturing the tension in Yabusele’s performance.
That pressure is real. Yabusele isn’t just trying to contribute - he’s trying to prove he belongs in a rotation that’s chasing something bigger than moral victories. The Knicks have real aspirations this season, and every minute on the floor is earned, not given.
"Every turnover, every missed shot, every defensive mistake is so magnified because he so desperately wants to play well"
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 19, 2025
–– Mike Breen as Guerschon Yabusele goes -14 his first 5 minutes pic.twitter.com/GVHkCJgU0A
Right now, Yabusele finds himself fourth on the center depth chart. Ariel Hukporti, the young German big man, got the start in Towns’ absence and made the most of it, playing 27 minutes and holding his own. Yabusele, meanwhile, continues to look like a player trying to force the issue - pressing instead of letting the game come to him.
The Knicks can’t afford to wait for him to figure it out. This is a team built around stars like Jalen Brunson and Towns, with a supporting cast expected to complement, not complicate. Every possession matters in a playoff chase, and when a player is struggling to stay within the flow of the game, it’s hard to justify giving him extended run - especially when others are stepping up.
Yabusele’s story isn’t over, and there’s still time for him to carve out a role. But right now, he’s on the outside looking in - and unless something changes soon, that window might keep closing.