NBA Free Agent Reportedly Chose Knicks Over Nuggets

In his debut season with the 76ers, the 29-year-old averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game with 50.1/38.0/72.5 shooting splits. However, his one-year contract expired, and the talented big man hit the open market.

Yabusele was gaining traction as a top frontcourt option in unrestricted free agency, as the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets each reportedly offered him the same contract.

"Yabusele wound up generating two-year, $12 million offers from New York and Denver and chose to sign with the Knicks," NBA insider Jake Fischer reported.

Of course, Yabusele ended up choosing the Knicks, which at the time was likely a crushing blow for the Nuggets. Since then, the Nuggets have acquired premium backup center Jonas Valanciunas to help out their frontcourt, but it is challenging for a franchise like Denver to compete with the likes of New York. Yabusele explained why he chose the Knicks in an interview with EuroBasket's Arthur Puybertier.

“When you look at New York, you can already see that the franchise has risen a lot in recent years," Yabusele said. "They are conference finalists; the collective project is visible and very interesting for me. They are a very good team that plays very well together and is playing for the title! Having this goal was something important for me, I want to play for something.

"Apart from that, New York is a historic team. Playing at Madison Square Garden is the dream of every NBA player, including mine! It’s a special place, I’m very happy to be there!”