Bulls’ Yabusele Declines 2026/27 Player Option

Before he was officially traded to the Bulls, veteran big man Guerschon Yabusele worked with the Knicks to adjust his contract, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).

Yabusele’s deal included a $5.78MM player option for the 2026/27 season that was reducing his trade value, since potential trade partners had no interest in taking on that salary with the Frenchman having a down year in ’25/26. However, he declined that player option as part of his move to Chicago, Johnson reports, and is now on track for unrestricted free agency this summer.

According to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link), there’s a very real chance that Yabusele, a former EuroLeague star, will head back overseas next season.

It’s worth noting that Yabusele was recently linked to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel and several European teams are reportedly monitoring his situation. But he’s expected to remain with Chicago for the rest of the season.

As Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes (via Twitter), Yabusele declining his player option helped grease the wheels not only on the deal that sent him to Chicago but also helped the Knicks acquire Jose Alvarado from New Orleans. Begley hears Yabusele, who has received limited run this season, will be given an opportunity to play for the Bulls.

The Bulls will benefit from Yabusele’s decision financially, as they’ll have extra cap room in 2026. The player they traded away — former first-round pick Dalen Terry — would have been eligible for restricted free agency.