The Knicks are going all-in for an NBA championship. First, they fired Tom Thibodeau after he led them to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, then they added one of the most prolific bench scorers of the last decade in Jordan Clarkson, and now they are signing French big man Guerschon Yabusele to a two-year, $12 million contract, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Free agent center Guerschon Yabusele has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the New York Knicks, plus a player option, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks negotiated the new deal with agents Olivier Mazet and Richie Felder for the big man on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/gmYODgPkau
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
Fans will find extra joy in the fact that their rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, were trying to retain the sharpshooting big man. The deal includes a player option, according to Charania. The Knicks are loading up as they attempt to compete for a title in what is shaping up to be a wide-open Eastern Conference.
The Celtics are in the midst of a fire sale after Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon in the playoffs. The Bucks just waived Damian Lillard, and the Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton next year.
What the signing means
Steve Popper of Newsday Sports reported that the signing was made using the Knicks' taxpayer midlevel exception. That means that the Knicks will need to fill out the rest of their roster using veteran minimum contracts. It also likely signals the end of Precious Achiuwa's time in New York, as he and Yabusele play the same position.
Yabusele had been out of the NBA before he had a strong showing at last summer's Olympic Games and was rewarded with a contract by the 76ers. The Frenchman took full advantage of the deal, averaging 11 points, 2.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. He is also a very solid shooter for his position. Last season, he knocked down 38 percent of his 3-point attempts.
The Knicks will be able to play some versatile lineups with Yabusele in the fold. He moves well for his size and can play both power forward and center, if the Knicks want to go small. He isn't a great defender, but he does have size and strength, and playing alongside some of New York's elite defenders should help.
What's next?
Clarkson and Yabusele are definitely a few tiers better of a bench unit than Achiuwa and Cam Payne were last season. The Knicks did a good job of upgrading their bench, all without having a head coach locked up. That now becomes the vital focus. Multiple outlets reported that Mike Brown is currently the favorite to land the job and is scheduled to have a second interview with the team this week.