The New York Knicks are finalizing a deal to send Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls, with guard Dalen Terry coming back in return. The team had been looking to relocate Yabusele for months, agreeing to terms with Chicago with fewer than 15 hours to go before the NBA's 2026 trade deadline. The move clears cap space for the Knicks in the 2026 offseason, with them no longer on the hook for Yabusele's player option.
Yabusele was New York's biggest offseason addition outside of head coach Mike Brown. The organization used their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign the Frenchman. That guaranteed him an option for a second year of his contract. The Knicks swapping Yabusele for Terry, an expiring contract, effectively gives them that cap space back this offseason.
Terry was the 18th overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, offering positional size and defensive instincts that clearly intrigued the Bulls. The 23-year-old never truly fit into Chicago's plans, though. He brings a career average of 11.1 minutes per game over 204 appearances into his tenure with New York.
The newest Knick's contract expires at the end of this season, with the team also acquiring the ability to extend him a $7.7 million qualifying offer. Terry would receive a no-trade clause in the event that he signed that offer, according to Knicks Film School cap-expert Jeremy Cohen. It seems most prudent for New York to simply let Terry hit free agency without any restrictions.
Yabusele was simply never a great fit with Knicks
Brown hadn't deployed Yabusele in a game since Jan. 30, with big man's days in New York seemingly numbered. The 30-year-old Frenchman kept his spirits high, continuing to post on social media in support of teammates. On Wednesday, though, Yabusele responded to a social media comment to support a fan that claimed he “needs at least two post touches a game and the coach has him shooting threes when he has shooting guards and small forwards guarding him.”
Yabusele praised the fan for having “common sense,” adding that he “will be okay” while co-signing the message about Brown's system being a poor match for the veteran big. The Frenchman was signed almost a week before the team hired Brown. He never seemingly viewed as a fit for the coach's system.
With this deal, both sides have the opportunity to move forward. The veteran big has a new home with the Bulls, and the Knicks no longer have his player option looming over their cap flexibility.
