The New York Knicks are winning right now, sitting at 18-7 after clinching the NBA Cup title last night, but the Guerschon Yabusele fit has gotten weird fast.
Last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Yabusele played real minutes and produced like a legit rotation piece, putting up 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 27.1 minutes per game while shooting 50.1% from the field and 38.0% from three.
This season, the role has basically evaporated. He’s down to 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per night, and he’s even talked about how tough the adjustment has been. “I don’t want to lie, it’s very difficult. I’m a competitor first and foremost,” he said.
And now that a bunch of players around the league just became trade-eligible, Yabusele suddenly looks like one of those “clean” contracts teams actually move, especially with a $5.5 million salary and a player option for 2026 sitting on the books.
1. The Utah Jazz Gain Some Interior Force
Utah Jazz Receive: Guerschon Yabusele
New York Knicks Receive: Kevin Love, 2027 second-round pick (via LAC)
The Jazz are 10-15 and clearly living in that awkward middle where you want development, but you also can’t just hand out free losses every night. That’s where Yabusele makes sense. He’s strong, he can play bigger than his height, and he doesn’t need the offense built around him to matter.
For the Knicks, Kevin Love is the kind of veteran “break glass in case of emergency” piece that contenders stash. He’s averaging 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, and even with his age, he can still swing a random game when his jumper is falling.
We literally just saw it. Love dropped a season-high 20 points with eight rebounds against the Grizzlies, and he did it in only 20 minutes, which is hilarious and also kind of the point.
The second-rounder is the real kicker. If you’re moving a usable forward on a reasonable deal, you want at least one extra chip coming back. The Knicks get a vet who can space the floor in short bursts, plus a pick. The Jazz get a sturdier forward who fits the “play hard, develop the kids, keep optionality” plan.
2. A Straight Swap To The Weird Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Guerschon Yabusele
New York Knicks Receive: Dwight Powell
The Mavericks are 10-17, and their frontcourt has been forced into constant patchwork mode. That makes a versatile body like Yabusele attractive, because he can toggle between spots and survive different matchups without demanding touches.
For the Knicks, Dwight Powell is simple. He’s a functional backup big who runs the floor, screens, finishes, and doesn’t pretend he’s something he’s not. This season, he’s at 2.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 62.1% from the field, basically the definition of “low-maintenance center minutes.”
There’s even been recent noise that Powell’s minutes can spike when injuries hit, which matters if you’re a team trying to survive the regular season grind without burning out your main guys.
From the Mavericks’ side, this is a bet on Yabusele’s skill set translating better in their ecosystem. He gives them another option when they want to play faster or go smaller. For the Knicks, it’s about getting a cleaner positional fit without adding long-term money.
3. The Kings Get An Enforcer Amid Their Crisis
Sacramento Kings Receive: Guerschon Yabusele
New York Knicks Receive: Doug McDermott, 2026 second-round pick (via CHA)
The Kings are 6-20, and that’s the kind of record that turns “nice bench piece” discussions into “we need to reshuffle the whole rotation” conversations. If you’re them, you can justify swapping a specialist for a tougher, more physical forward to stabilize minutes and plug holes.
McDermott is still what he’s always been, a movement shooter teams have to track, even if the role is smaller now. On the season, he’s at 3.0 points per game and 50.0% from the field in limited run.
And financially, he’s on a one-year $3.6 million deal, which is about as tradable as it gets.
For the Knicks, this is about offensive utility. When playoff defenses load up, having a guy who can sprint off pindowns and actually punish second units has value, even if it’s only 8 to 12 minutes a night.
For the Kings, Yabusele helps them get sturdier. More size. More physicality. More flexibility. The second-rounder is what makes it feel like a real “swap” instead of a pure talent downgrade, because New York would be giving up the more versatile player.
4. Nick Richards From The Suns
Phoenix Suns Receive: Guerschon Yabusele
New York Knicks Receive: Nick Richards
The Suns are 14-12, which puts them in the “good but not comfortable” tier where you’re constantly hunting for the right mix before the games get serious. Yabusele fits that kind of tinkering, because he can give you strength, spot shooting, and lineup versatility without needing star usage.
For the Knicks, Nick Richards is a pure depth move. He’s averaging 3.4 points and 3.2 rebounds, and he’s on a $5 million salary, so he’s not some minimum flyer; he’s an actual roster piece you can plug into real minutes when needed.
This is the “we want another legit center body for the long haul of a season” play. Richards gives you size, rim presence, and a little more rebounding insurance if the rotation gets squeezed.
And for the Suns, flipping Richards for Yabusele is a style choice. It’s choosing a more switchable, forward-leaning option who can survive in more lineup types, especially when you want to speed the game up or avoid getting hunted.
Final Thoughts
Yabusele’s situation screams “good player, wrong role, wrong timing.” The production drop isn’t a mystery when the minutes vanish, but that doesn’t mean his value is dead.
If the Knicks decide they’d rather turn the roster spot into a cleaner fit, these are the kinds of deals that actually show up in February. Nothing sexy. Nothing franchise-altering. Just swaps that make the rotation make more sense.
