Knicks' Potential Guerschon Yabusele Trade Won't Be Easy

He wasn't dealt as fortunate of a hand as many anticipated when he signed onto the Knicks a few months ago, with centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson blocking him from any minutes as a five-out center option while the starting wings clogged their own minute columns, but Yabusele hasn't exactly made Brown's decision very difficult. The 3-ball, the tool he rode into an NBA return, has slipped nearly 10 percentage points to a 29.5% hit rate.

Slipping Play

Insiders see New Yorkers' interest in turning Yabusele into a more helpful rotational option, but they're also pointing out that tempting others with a failed experiment won't be easy.

Fred Katz of The Athletic is plenty familiar with the Knicks, having covered the team extensively before moving to more general NBA coverage, and he's recognizing the squad's interest in moving on as well as what they've got their eyes on as a potential return.

"I do think the Knicks are putting out feelers for bigs and trying to get one. Because man, the Yabusele thing's just…worst-case scenario right now," he said on his podcast, "Katz and Shoot." "20-something-odd percent from three, and not moving well, not performing well...Yabusele is very on the fringe of the rotation, there are halves where he doesn't play, there are nights he doesn't play

Monetary Challenges of Trading

As he points out, Yabusele's partially receiving as much trade attention he is just because most of his teammates are either signed to long extensions or not making enough money to seriously factor into any moves. Mitchell Robinson is the most prominent mid-level contract on New York's books, and the already-center-needy team wouldn't have much to gain by letting their best defensive anchor go.

The $11 million and change that Yabusele's owed over the next two years includes a player option that he's owed in 2026-27, and that won't make a trade any easier if he's still a shell of the version of himself he flashed last season.

"I don't know what Yabusele and three second-round picks is getting you. You might take some second round picks just to get off of that player option," he said. "Might be tough to add something consequential."

It's not much to work with, but that's what the Knicks have for any margin move they may be considering.