A Pay Cut to Join the Bulls? Guerschon Yabusele Explained His Shocking Decision

The Chicago Bulls' decision to trade for Guerschon Yabusele surprised many around the NBA, but not as much as the news that came shortly after.

The big man was on a two-year, $12.0 million deal with the New York Knicks. He earned the contract with the contender following a very solid 2024-25 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Clocking plenty of minutes for the banged-up Philly team, he averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 51.0 percent shooting from the field.

Nevertheless, as the Knicks' season got underway with high expectations, Yabusele found himself crashing back down to earth. He looked far more like the incomplete player who inevitably left the NBA after a two-year stint with the Boston Celtics between 2017 and 2019. New York played him only 8.9 minutes a night, resulting in an ugly 2.7 points per game on sub-40 percent shooting.

All things considered, this made Chicago's decision to trade for the forward even more confusing. Why take on a struggling 30-year-old big owed more money for no additional assets? There wasn't a good answer ... until there was.

Reports broke that Yabusele chose to forgo his player option for the 2026-27 season. In other words, he gave up roughly $5.8 million for the chance to play with the Chicago Bulls. It felt like a crazy decision, particularly for a player who didn't look worth that upcoming payday in free agency. However, based on what Yabsuele had to say to SNY's Ian Begley, it sure sounds like he would do it again.

Guerschon Yabusele Wanted More Opportunity

Guerschon Yabusele of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan talks with forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) against the Denver Nuggets during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Speaking with SNY after his departure from the New York Knicks, Guerschon Yabusele opened up for the first time about his bold contract decision.

“We can always see the side of the money and talk about it, but at the end of the day the passion is more than just the money. It’s being out there, missing the feeling of being out there, offense, defense. Just competing at a high level because I’m a competitor first,” Yabusele told SNY. “… The situation with New York was a little bit different for me because I wasn’t really playing, so being able to be on another team and try to bring value on the court was really important. I was just missing being out there on the court, making mistakes, learning from it and trying to get better.”

There is no question that the Chicago Bulls needed the frontcourt help. All season long, they had struggled immensely when it came to more physical big men. Yabusele helps in that department with his 265-pound frame. Likewise, the Bulls also moved on from Nikola Vucevic at the deadline and have remained without Zach Collins, who is out indefinitely with a toe injury.

Even if the plan always was to also add center Nick Richards, reinforcements were going to be needed to finish out the 2025-26 season. And Yabusele was so willing to help that he gave up nearly $6.0 million. A risk? Absolutely, but it's one that Yabusele called an "easy" decision in his conversation with Begley. He made note of the risk he took leaving Europe for his second chance in the NBA. The big man is evidently eager to prove his worth, and there is no doubt he was struggling to do that while stuck on the New York bench.

Whether or not this move will – quite literally – pay off remains to be seen, but Yabusele has certainly tried to make the most of the opportunity so far. The French native scored a combined 27 points in his first two games with 13 rebounds and 3 steals. His third outing against the Brooklyn Nets left a lot more to be desired, but it's hard not to deem the start of his likely brief Bulls career anything but a success.

Yabusele had one game with double-digit points in New York and already has two. He had zero with double-digit rebounds and already has one. Most notably, however, Yabusele's Top 3 games in minutes played in 2025-26 have all come in a Bulls uniform.

It may not be a decision that the majority of players make, but that is exactly why it's hard not to respect. Yabusele must clearly be comfortable with whatever road lies ahead – whether that be here in the States or back overseas. At the end of the day, it says a lot about your love for the game to toss away a paycheck, let alone play for the Chicago Bulls!