Mike Brown
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New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown during a game against the Miami Heat in December 2025
As the February 5 trade deadline approaches, the New York Knicks’ willingness to move on from Guerschon Yabusele has begun to generate broader league speculation.
Following a productive NBA return with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2024-25 season, the Knicks signed Yabusele to a two-year, $11.2 million contract this past offseason. The move, however, has not unfolded as planned.
The 30-year-old has struggled to carve out a consistent role, averaging just 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game across 38 appearances.
“It’s definitely not what I was expecting to [do] coming into the season,” Yabusele recently said, via The New York Post. “I thought it would be a little more different.”
New York Knicks Looking to Clear Salary Before Deadline
Yabusele is earning $5.5 million this season, with a $5.7 million player option looming for the 2026-27 campaign.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, New York’s priority is to move off the Frenchman’s contract before the option comes into play.
“Sources with knowledge of New York’s thinking have insisted it is focused on smaller deals built around Guerschon Yabusele’s $5.5 million salary and shedding that contract before Yabusele’s $6 million player option for next season kicks in,” Stein recently reported.
As the Knicks explore ways to reshape the back end of their roster, several names have been linked to New York in recent weeks. One new possibility has now emerged.
Forbes’ Evan Sidery has reported that the Knicks and Phoenix Suns have held discussions centered on a potential swap.
“The Knicks and Suns have discussed a swap of Guerschon Yabusele for Nick Richards,” Sidery stated. “Phoenix would also send out Nigel Hayes-Davis’ veteran minimum salary to a facilitating team in order to duck the luxury tax altogether.”
Evaluating a Potential Suns Framework
Like Yabusele, Richards has seen his role diminish this season, despite productive stretches with the Charlotte Hornets and a solid showing with Phoenix after arriving in a midseason trade last season.
Through 28 games, Richards is averaging 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in just 9.1 minutes per contest. He has fallen out of the Suns’ regular rotation, and Phoenix is reportedly open to moving the 28-year-old center.
Sidery has previously noted that the Suns may only be seeking a second-round pick to offload Richards, who is in the final year of a three-year, $15 million contract and earning a flat $5 million this season.
Whether Phoenix would be willing to take on Yabusele’s future player option remains unclear.
New York’s financial position further complicates matters, as the Knicks sit just below the second luxury tax apron and cannot take back more salary than Yabusele’s $5.5 million.
That restriction makes the inclusion of a contract like Hayes-Davis’ roughly $2 million deal necessary to balance the books and open up flexibility.
Beyond Phoenix, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel has previously reported that the Knicks have also engaged in discussions with the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans.
New York has been linked to Jeremy Sochan from San Antonio, as well as Jose Alvarado and Yves Missi from New Orleans.
With the deadline nearing, the Knicks appear focused on creating flexibility through smaller moves rather than swinging for a headline addition.
Whether that comes via Phoenix or another trade partner, Yabusele’s situation is shaping up as one of New York’s more likely pressure points to resolve before February 5.