Guerschon Yabusele Reveals Why He Gave Up $5.8M to Leave Knicks

Guerschon Yabusele essentially walked away from $5.8 million in the form of a player option, which helped the New York Knicks trade him before the deadline while also handing him a new opportunity with the Chicago Bulls.

Feb 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) shoots the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Most players would hold onto guaranteed money, but Guerschon Yabusele went against that and sacrificed a $5.8 million player option to make a trade from the New York Knicks to the Chicago Bulls happen

Yabusele worked with the Knicks to restructure his contract before the deadline, removing next season's option entirely so he'd become an unrestricted free agent this summer. That move turned a difficult trade into a simple one.

Without it, Chicago probably walks away. With it, the Bulls got a rotation player and the Knicks got the flexibility they needed to land their real target. New York flipped the player, and contract, they received from the Bulls in Dalen Terry straight to New Orleans, adding two second-rounders to the deal to land Jose Alvarado. That whole sequence only happened because Yabusele was willing to bet on himself.

He explained why in an interview with SNY, and his answer cut through all the usual athlete speak.

"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."

That wasn't something he just said out of the blue. Yabusele spent months buried on New York's bench, averaging under nine minutes per game while posting 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds. He shot 39% from the field across 41 appearances. Those numbers didn't show what he could do; they showed what happens when you don't get real minutes. Last season with Philadelphia, he put up 11 points and 5.6 rebounds in 27 minutes per game. The ability was always there.

Chicago's Getting What They Wanted

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

Yabusele's first game with the Bulls told you everything. He logged 33 minutes off the bench against Toronto and posted 15 points with 11 rebounds, playing like someone who'd been waiting months for the chance. His second game saw him crack the starting lineup, this time scoring 12 points with 2 rebounds in 26 minutes against Denver while averaging close to 30 minutes over his first two Bulls appearances.

The production matters, but so does the context. Chicago's frontcourt got gutted at the deadline, leaving them desperate for size and physicality. Yabusele brings both, plus the shooting touch that made him valuable in Philly. He's hitting threes and defending multiple positions, doing exactly what the Bulls hoped when they took him without giving up real assets.

Back in New York, the Knicks got their guy in Alvarado. The Brooklyn native fits what they needed after Miles McBride underwent surgery. His defensive energy and backcourt pressure already showed up in his first game, giving them exactly what they lost when McBride hit the shelf. Both teams walked away better.

Yabusele knows the gamble he took. He can't get that $5.8 million back in free agency this summer, at least not all at once. But if he keeps producing like he has through his first two games, another NBA contract might be coming.

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