Guerschon Yabusele’s fairy tale return to the NBA continues after a terrific season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite originally being drafted as the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Guerschon Yabusele has just three years of his NBA experience under his belt.
Well, the French star found himself out of the league following a two-year stint with the Boston Celtics. However, Yabusele made his return to the league last season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Free agent center Guerschon Yabusele has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the New York Knicks, plus a player option, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks negotiated the new deal with agents Olivier Mazet and Richie Felder for the big man on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/gmYODgPkau
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
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After a terrific year with the 76ers, Yabusele will begin a new chapter in his career with the New York Knicks.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesGuerschon Yabusele claps back at fan for criticizing his decision to sign with the New York Knicks
Yabusele secured a two-year $12 million deal with the Knicks as a free agent. He also has a player option in his deal.
However, one NBA fan was furious with Yabusele’s decision and slammed him on X.
“He could’ve earned a better contract with a spot in the starting five. This smacks of bad career choice,” the fan wrote.
Yabusele was seemingly offended by the statement and responded: “You don’t even know what you’re talking about, it’s killing me… do you know the offers I’ve had? So please keep your judgment.”
The NBA fan’s reaction came as a surprise, especially considering experts like Kevin O’Connor and Fred Katz were left in awe of the signing.
In fact, the Knicks are now backed for success after landing Yabusele with Jordan Clarkson ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Guerschon Yabusele turned his career around with the Philadelphia 76ers
In his sole year in Philly, Yabusele contributed 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 50.1% from the field and 38.0% from the three-point line.
There’s a stark difference in his performance between his time in Boston and Philadelphia. After all, Yabusele averaged just 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game over two years for the Celtics.
Additionally, the Knicks didn’t sign Yabusele without doing any research. In fact, the Knicks were eyeing the 29-year-old during the NBA Trade Deadline as well.
At the time, Yabusele didn’t care much about his name being in NBA trade rumors, but fast forward to the summer of 2025 and he’s joined the iconic Knicks franchise.