Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele and Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Knicks Could Have Something Special in Guerschon Yabusele

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 9:00 AM ET

New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele signed a two-year contract worth just over $11 million this offseason.

The signing looked like a meager move to help the bench, but it could mean a lot more for the Knicks after his dominating performance for France at EuroBasket. Yabusele scored 36 points in France's latest win over Poland, emerging as a force for his team. The Knicks hope that translates in the regular season.

Yabusele was taken as the No. 16 overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft, but stayed in France for a year to develop. He came back to the Celtics a year later as part of the same rookie class as Jayson Tatum, but the Duke star took the spotlight next to Kyrie Irving, leaving Yabusele to go to the bench.

After the Celtics made two deep playoff runs, Yabusele was let go by Boston and was forced to go back to Europe. Yabusele worked on his game, playing in China, France and Spain before getting another opportunity to shine on a global stage in the Olympics.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele reacts to his three pointer against the Washington Wizards Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

In last year's Olympics, Yabusele proved himself and became one of France's key contributors, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to sign him to a one-year contract.

In his lone season with the Sixers, Yabusele averaged 11 points per game, but Philly struggled in the Eastern Conference due to injuries. Yabusele and the 76ers missed the playoffs, so he chose to sign with the Knicks in free agency in hopes of getting a chance to compete for a championship.

As he has grown over the years, it's clear Yabusele has put in the work and he has turned into a player the Knicks can count on this season.

His run at EuroBasket is a sign that he still has more to give, so the Knicks could be getting the absolute peak version of him for the upcoming season. That is certainly something that can get the Knicks from being among the best to the team others are chasing in the Eastern Conference.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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