The New York Knicks signed Guerschon Yabusele away from the Philadelphia 76ers back in July, and the move instantly felt like a massive win. This team would be getting a productive interior player at a reasonable price tag who had just proven his value on a rival team.
But instead of that reality panning out, it's been a very bumpy ride for Yabusele through the first two months of the season. He's averaging just 3.0 points and 9.6 minutes played as of this writing. On Sunday evening, he received another DNP as Knicks fans were left wondering how this move seemingly went so sideways so quickly.
Part of the issue is just roster hierarchy. With Karl-Anthony Towns handling a large share of the offensive workload at the five and Mitchell Robinson anchoring the glass when available, minutes have been hard to come by. Yabusele has struggled to find a consistent foothold.
Defensive trust has also been a hurdle. New York’s scheme relies on quick reads and discipline on rotations. Early in the season, Yabusele had moments where he looked a step behind, and on a team chasing wins every night, those lapses tend to get magnified. When the margin for error is thin, the coaching staff has shown a clear preference for reliability over experimentation.
Guerschon Yabusele has struggled all season
Offensively, the fit has been awkward as well. Yabusele thrived in Philadelphia by playing with pace and punishing mismatches. The Knicks’ offense, however, flows heavily through Jalen Brunson and often prioritizes spacing and ball movement. In limited minutes, Yabusele has looked hesitant, and that's often enough to cost a player their spot in a rotation this competitive.
What makes this situation so frustrating is that the signing made a lot of sense on paper. Yabusele looked like a low-risk addition capable of providing physicality and depth over the course of a long season. Instead, he's been squeezed out by a roster that already has answers in the frontcourt.
At this point, New York is understandably focused on continuity. That reality makes it difficult to justify forcing minutes his way. If Yabusele is going to turn things around, it will likely come through his rebounding strengths and embracing a simplified role rather than trying to carve out a role on offense.
The team will likely be listening to trade offers for him ahead of the deadline. Unless Guerschon can turn it around, this may quietly become one of those offseason moves that looked smart in theory but never found real traction once the games started to matter.