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The New York Knicks have been relatively busy in the early days of the 2025 NBA free agency period. After agreeing to terms with Jordan Clarkson, who will certainly bolster the team's second-unit scoring, New York turned its attention to the gritty side of the game.
With the team seeking frontcourt help, the Knicks agreed to a 2-year, $12 million contract with Guerschon Yabusele, who will add depth and toughness behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.
To make this addition sweeter, the Knicks were able to steal him from under the Philadelphia 76ers. Yabusele emerged as one of the better frontcourt players on the open market this offseason, but what do New York fans need to know about the French big man?
Who is Guerschon Yabusele?
Yabusele is a 6-foot-8 frontcourt talent from France. He is a burly defender and rim protector.
His breakout moment came on the biggest stage of them all, the 2024 Olympics, where he helped lead Team France to a silver medal.
Yabusele turned his success in the Olympics into a second NBA opportunity. The 29-year-old played the 2024-25 season for the Philadelphia 76ers after previously playing two seasons with the Boston Celtics from 2017 to 2019.
He averaged 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game last season. But he is more than just a rebounder and defender. He also shot a 62/38/73 shooting split last season, which is particularly good for a player his size.
Yabusele was originally a 2016 first-round pick of the Celtics.
What does Yabusele bring to the Knicks?
The Frenchman provides additional depth and versatility to the Knicks' bench. It is unclear what new Knicks' coach Mike Brown plans to do with the team's starting lineup, but Yabusele can serve as a backup power forward or center.
If Brown chooses to start Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns together, Yabusele would come off the bench, depending on how the team is playing on a given night. Conversely, if Brown brings Robinson off the bench, Yabusele's role morphs into more of a power forward.
Fortunately, Yabusele is versatile enough to defend faster power forwards in the NBA, and his shooting will stretch the floor alongside Robinson offensively. This would be a major benefit to the team given Robinson's offensive limitations outside of the paint.
Yabusele and Clarkson essentially replace Precious Achiuwa and Landry Shamet on the team's depth chart. These two veteran options add significant firepower and grit to the Knicks' second unit, and they represent a major upgrade in the team's reserves.
New York's bench previously featured limited top-end talent. Now, with Yabusele and Clarkson likely joining Miles McBride and Robinson to complete a dangerous second unit, Brown can lean on his bench more heavily than Tom Thibodeau did.
How might Yabusele impact Knicks' youth?
Fortunately, Yabusele's role is unique among New York's other reserve players.
His presence provides younger guys like Pacome Dadiet, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Ariel Hukport with additional time to get themselves NBA-ready. While major contributions from any of their 2024 draft picks, or rookie Mohamed Diawara, would be a welcome surprise, Yabusele renders it unnecessary.
The Knicks now boast a legitimate nine-man rotation. If they re-sign Shamet or add another veteran, like Ben Simmons, that would make for a 10-man rotation. Playing more than 10 players in high-stakes games like the NBA Playoffs is unlikely and uncommon, yet Yabusele's presence does not preclude their younger guys from carving out a role in the team's rotation during the regular season.
New York's depth is pretty well set following the Yabusele signing. While it's incredibly early, it appears safe to say that the team's 2025-26 bench will be better than last season's version.
So, while the Knicks still have things to sort out, they look pretty well set.
And the best part is that free agency just got started.
