The Guerschon Yabusele experience has been way sadder than I expected it to be. In fact, I (along with most Knicks fans, and NBA fans in general) thought it would be thrilling! I called it the "steal of the offseason!" And now Yabusele has turned into nothing more than trade chip at the deadline.
NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported that, "League sources say New York is looking at ways to turn Guerschon Yabusele's $5.5 million salary into a depth piece for the Knicks' playoff run."
Yabu was supposed to be that depth piece for the Knicks' playoff run! The Knicks are looking to trade a player for the type of player they thought they already had! I have no idea what value Yabusele has on the trade market right now, but I'm confident that any return the Knicks get will feel like a disappointing end to a promising offseason signing.
Guerschon Yabusele's NBA redemption arc may be ending
Last season, with the Philadelphia 76ers, Yabusele was one of the best stories in the NBA. After making his way back onto league radars thanks to an impressive Olympics performance, the Sixers gave him a shot and Yabu took advantage of the chance, posting the best season of his career.
When the Knicks signed him to a two-year deal, it felt like the continuation of that great story; but everything that Yabu did last season that made him so effective with the Sixers has been lacking in his time with the Knicks. He's averaged just over 3 points and 2 rebounds per game this year, sometimes not even cracking Mike Brown's rotation, and almost never playing over 20 minutes per game.
Maybe this is foolish of me, but I do think Yabusele can produce (at least more than he is now) somewhere else. Looking at his career statistical profile, last year definitely looks like a fluke... But that 3-point shooting and defensive intensity is still in there somewhere, right?
If Yabusele plays like he did last year, he'll stay in the NBA for at least five more years. If he keeps playing like he has for the Knicks, this could well be his last stint in the league. It's pretty striking how much worse he looks this year than last year. New York just wasn't the right fit for him, and all reports indicate his tenure in NYC winding down over the next few weeks.