This time last summer, New York Knicks fans were celebrating the addition of Guerschon Yabusele.
The veteran forward had impressed during his return to the NBA in 2024-25, where he became a key member of the Philadelphia 76ers roster. Unfortunately, Yabusele’s addition to the Knicks didn’t go to plan.
During a recent discussion with AS.com, Yabusele admitted that he knew his tenure with the Knicks was going to be difficult after Mike Brown informed him that there weren’t many minutes to go around.
“[Mike] explained that he wanted his five starters to play 38 minutes each, plus Mitch, who deserved his 26 minutes. And that already gives you an idea of what to expect,” Yabusele said. “What puzzled me most was what the coach didn’t mention about others.”
Yabusele continued.
“He talked to me about the five starters; he talked to me about Mitch, but he didn’t talk about Landry; he didn’t talk about Jordan Clarkson; he didn’t talk about all the others who were also there. If you add all of them up, technically there are no minutes left. So I understood very early on that it was going to be a very complicated year.”
The Knicks Ended Up Trading Yabusele
Unfortunately for Yabusele, his dream move to the Knicks never got off the ground. He was ultimately traded to the Chicago Bulls midway through the season. In Chicago, Yabusele had more of a role, averaging 10 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per night.
However, given how excited he was to sign with the Knicks last summer, Yabusele would undoubtedly have been disappointed not to make his mark on Mike Brown’s roster.
Yabusele’s short Knicks tenure ended after 41 games, during which he played an average of 8.9 minutes per night. He put up 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game on average, shooting 29.4% from deep and 39.3% from the field.
Following Yabusele’s difficult season, he has opted to once again leave the NBA and return to Europe. He will now suit up for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basketball League for the upcoming season.
Yabusele Explains Why He Left The NBA
During his conversation with AS.com, Yabusele shared his reasoning for heading back to Europe this summer.
“I spoke with my wife, my agents, and my mentor,” Yabusele told AS. “It was an important decision. I didn’t make it easily. It took a long time, and there were many questions.”
Yabusele continued.
“I thought about French teammates who had gone through the same thing and stayed there for years without playing, I can’t do that, I was the one who decided to leave, not them. I’d rather be the one making that decision.”
Yabusele will now have a sizeable role for his new team, where he can continue his career in Europe. He had previously been a key part of Real Madrid’s roster before making the decision to return to the NBA.
Whether this is the last we see of Yabusele in the NBA remains to be seen. However, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see him back in a Knicks uniform.
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