The Knicks gambled on a French resurgence that has completely evaporated, turning what looked like a savvy depth signing into a nightly liability that haunts Mike Brown’s rotation.
Guerschon Yabusele bet on himself with a two-year, $11.275 million deal, hoping to parlay a strong campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers into a long-term payday, but that wager is bankrupting his value in real-time.
The 30-year-old forward has plummeted from a reliable 11-point scorer in Philadelphia to a forgotten man in New York, averaging a pitiful 3.0 points per game while looking totally lost in the pace-and-space demands of the modern NBA.
The drop-off is not just a slide; it is a statistical freefall that suggests his 2024 breakout was a mirage rather than a new standard. Last season, Yabusele was a legitimate contributor, shooting 50% from the field and 38% from deep while playing 27 minutes a night, but those days feel like ancient history.
Through 25 games in New York, his efficiency has cratered to 38.6% from the field and a miserable 29.2% from three-point range, turning him into an offensive black hole who cannot stretch the floor or finish inside.
Mike Brown’s System Is Exposing Yabusele’s Fatal Flaws
The transition to Mike Brown’s high-octane system has brutally exposed Yabusele’s lack of foot speed and defensive awareness, making him a target for opposing offenses every second he is on the floor. He looks like he is running in quicksand while the rest of the Knicks are sprinting, consistently failing to navigate screens or close out on shooters in time to make a difference.
The “Dancing Bear” agility that once made him a fan favorite has been replaced by heavy legs and late rotations, forcing the coaching staff to slash his minutes to a meager 9.8 per game just to stop the bleeding.
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Recent performances paint an even grimmer picture of his impact, specifically over his last five games where his presence has actively tanked the Knicks’ competitiveness. In a combined 42 minutes of action against teams like the Pacers, Magic, Raptors, and Jazz, Yabusele posted a cumulative plus-minus of -38, a staggering number that proves the team is hemorrhaging points whenever he checks in. His showing against Indiana was the nadir, as he managed to be a -17 in just 11 minutes of play, effectively spotting the Pacers a massive run single-handedly.
The Knicks Must Find a Trade Partner Before It Is Too Late
The contract situation makes this disappointment even more painful, as Yabusele holds a player option for next season worth $5.7 million that he will almost certainly exercise given his current market value.
No other team is going to offer him more money after this disaster of a season, meaning the Knicks are staring down the barrel of dead cap space for a player who cannot crack the rotation. The front office needs to aggressively shop him to a slower-paced team that might still value his size and theoretical shooting, perhaps a half-court offense where his lack of speed is less of a death sentence.
Keeping him around hoping for a turnaround feels like a sunk cost fallacy, especially when every win matters in a crowded Eastern Conference. The Knicks need athleticism and versatility to execute their defensive schemes, and Yabusele currently provides neither. He is a square peg in a round hole, and continuing to force him into the lineup is unfair to both the player and the rest of the roster trying to win games.
Looking Ahead: A Swift Exit Is Best for Everyone
The experiment is over, and the Knicks need to admit defeat before the trade deadline passes them by. Guerschon Yabusele seems like a great locker room guy, but his on-court production has become an anchor dragging down the second unit. The Knicks must cut their losses, move the contract for whatever asset they can get—or even nothing at all—and free up that roster spot for a player who actually fits the identity of this team.