New York Knicks NBA trade deadline moves 2026, Knicks trades, New York Knicks news, Knicks Yabusele trade, Knicks Jose Alvarado trade, Knicks news, Josh Hart, Jordan Clarkson, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson
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The New York Knicks traded away Guerschon Yabusele while making a deal for Jose Alvarado at the NBA trade deadline to shake up the roster.
The New York Knicks signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele over the offseason in what were expected to be two moves to bolster their championship hopes after an Eastern Conference Finals exit in 2025, and while neither has played up to their peak, the latterwas most recently moved at the trade deadline.
The Knicks traded Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Dalen Terry, a former first-round pick whonever got much run in The Windy City.
After the trade,Yabusele’s offseason signee partner in Clarkson took to Threads to comment on the trade.
New York Basketball
Jordan Clarkson:
“get to it Yabu happy for you bro keep hooping man,”the 12th-year guard wrote.
On the season, Yabusele was averaging just 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per night in 41 games. In his first appearance for Chicago, he finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Knicks Players React To Trade Deadline Deals
Clarkson’s comments on the Yabusele trade were just one of theKnicks’ players’ reactions to their deadline deals, which also included the team adding Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Regarding the French big man, Mohamed Diawara wrote ‘Yeaaaa yabuuuuu!!!!‘in a post on X after his standout first game for the Bulls.Pacome Dadiet, whowas expected tobe moved along with Yabusele at the deadline, but ended up staying in New York, posteda picture on Instagram of the two together.
While Yabusele was under contract with the Knicks for another year, he reworked his deal with the teamso he was able to be traded.
Ian Begley
Guerschon Yabusele worked with Knicks to amend 2nd year of his contract, removing the player option in order facilitate trade with Chicago, per league sources. Trade gives him opportunity to compete and play this season in CHI and evaluate his options this summer.
“Guerschon Yabusele worked with Knicks to amend 2nd year of his contract, removing the player option in order facilitate trade with Chicago, per league sources,”Ian Begley wrote in a post on X. “Trade gives him opportunity to compete and play this season in CHI and evaluate his options this summer.”
As for Alvarado, Josh Hart was the big name New York player who reacted to the news of the Knicks trading Terry again back to New Orleans, along with two second-round picks for Alvarado.
“JOSEEEEEEE,”Hart wrote in a post on X, reacting to the news of Alvrado returning to the city in which he grew up.
The point guard himself posted a picture of him with thePelicans’ staff with the caption ‘Love Nola‘in response to himbeing moved.
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Jose Alvarado on IG:
The Knicks were both rumored to be interested in trading Yabusele and making a deal for Alvarado, so at the deadline, it appears New York got what they wanted to make a playoff push.
Can New-Look Knicks Compete For A Title?
While the Knickswere rumored to be shopping Karl-Anthony Towns in a move that likely would have seen them target Giannis Antetokounmpo, that never came to fruition.
Instead, they kept their core of Jalen Brunson, Hart, Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson together, while making a few slight changes around the margins tofix some of the issues that became clear after their strugglespost-NBA Cup.
But now, the Knicks have their rosterset for therest of the season, and while theystill could target a buyout candidate before the playoffs, this is the corethat they will compete for their first title in more than 50 yearswith.
Writing for The Athletic, James L. Edwards discussed the chances of this New York squad winning four straight playoff rounds.
“The Knicks, from top to bottom, feel like a well-oiled machine now,”he wrote. “From here on out,it’s just about basketball. Players no longer have to worry about potentially uprooting their lives.There’s no more fear about being in an Antetokounmpo trade. Certain guys can now exhale…Many people thought this Knicks team could be special. New York has started to prove those people right.”
New York has now won eight games in a row after going 2-9 earlier in January.Their issues seem tobe fixedafter Brunson held a ‘players only‘meeting, and everyonelooks to be on the same pageon how to finish out the regular season.
The injury and subsequent surgery for Miles McBride will be a tough pill to swallow for the Knicks, but now they have Alvarado and a strong foundation with playoff experience together.