The Knicks' jewel of free agency was the signing of Guerschon Yabusele, who they inked to a two-year $11.2 million contract using their mid-level exception to facilitate the deal. Yabusele revealed that he chose to sign with the Knicks after the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom he spent last year, lowballed him. Now, the French big man will have the perfect opportunity to make them regret their decision when they come to Madison Square Garden on December 19.
Yabusele brings plenty of shooting, size, and versatility to New York. After being out of the league for a number of years, he signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia and took full advantage of it, appearing in 70 games while averaging 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three.
Daryl Morey eventually explained that the 76ers offered Yabusele everything that they could while also leaving enough room for them to sign Quentin Grimes, saying, “We offered him the most we could that wouldn’t limit us and our ability to retain Quentin. That was above the minimum. I’ve seen reports saying that that wasn’t, but it was definitely below what he ended up getting.”
Whatever the reason, the Knicks' newest player will no doubt use it as fuel when they meet for the first time in the middle of December.
Both teams have championship aspirations
The Knicks clearly believe they were a few depth signings and a new head coach away from winning a championship, considering they fired Tom Thibodeau after he took them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter of a century.
They added Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson, giving them some serious scoring punch off of the bench which they didn't have last season, when they ranked dead last in the league in points scored from the bench.
The 76ers also likely think they could be in the mix in a weakened Eastern Conference, that is, if they can remain healthy. One of the reasons Yabusele had such a successful year last season was that he had a big opportunity to play, which stemmed from multiple critical injuries to key players.
Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey all missed significant time last year. If they can stay healthy this year, it is a formidable duo and will certainly be a tough team to count out.