Jason Burgos
More evidence emerged this week that the New York Knicks’ signing of French hulk Guerschon Yabusele might be the biggest steal of the NBA offseason.
This summer for the Knicks has been far less eventful than a year ago. In 2024, they made a pair of blockbuster trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. They agreed to a team-friendly extension with top star Jalen Brunson and extended then-head coach Tom Thibodeau. This year has been far quieter.
Yes, they fired Thibodeau and bungled their way to replacing him with Mike Brown. But outside of that, the only moves they’ve made are to bolster the bench with the signings of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. The guard is the more notable name and should bring serious offensive punch to the bench. However, Yabusele is proving this summer that he could be a huge difference-maker for New York.
Right now, the muscle-bound forward is playing with the French National team in the EuroBasket tournament, and on Tuesday, he delivered a legendary performance for the program.
Guerschon Yabusele contract: Two years, $11.2 million
In their 83-76 win over host nation Poland, Yabusele scored a career high 36 points on 12 of 20 from the floor and hit half of his 12 three-point shots. He also added six boards, two assists, and a pair of blocks in a complete showcase of his versatile skills. He also tied NBA great and National team legend, Tony Parker, for the third-best single-game performance for the team at EuroBasket.
Yabusele earned his one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers last year with an impressive performance for France in their run to the basketball finals of the 2024 Summer Olympics. He then showed his growth wasn’t just in international ball by averaging 11 points, nearly six boards, and shot 38% from three in 27 minutes for the Sixers.
New York was able to ink the 29-year-old to a very affordable two-year pact worth $11.2 million this summer. A bargain in today’s game. Especially since center Mitchell Robinson has proven he is an injury waiting to happen. It is unclear if Robinson will start in 2025-26, but he is their top big man behind Towns.
Yabusele gives them impact depth while offering Mike Brown options off the bench for the frontcourt. Considering what he brings offensively, it is a real possibility that he passes Robinson on Brown’s depth chart and even gets a lot of minutes with the first unit alongside Towns. Making him a huge potential offseason steal for the Knicks.
