Knicks' Guerschon Yabusele Trade Continues Paying Dividends

Every good move that the New York Knicks have made since parting with their forward has helped their ongoing championship hunt.

Feb 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) reacts to his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Ever since the New York Knicks finally found a trade partner offering to absorb Guerschon Yabusele and his money, everything seems to have come up their way.

Even beyond the two sizable wins they've snatched up over their past three outings, they're set up well for team-building success in fortifying their current championship aspirations. They not only netted Jose Alvarado with the resources they accumulated and saved in dumping Yabusele, but now get to add one more defensive bet in Jeremy Sochan.

Mar 19, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket while defended by San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Neither of those moves would have been possible without Yabusele doing the Knicks a major solid upon changing teams, something that he could see coming several months before both sides shook hands on an agreement. He voided the $5.8 million player-option that he had waiting for him in the 2026-27 season to make the deal work, thus leaving New York with more flexibility even after sending more fringe assets to New Orleans for Alvarado.

Sochan was the first domino to fall in providing some juice to the buyout market, as he, like Yabusele, failed to fit into his team. But he actually had some defense to offer to whomever gave the former top-10 prospect his next shot at NBA minutes, and New York swung at that upside, handing him the final veteran's minimum left over by the breathing room that Yabusele provided.

Fitting Into New Homes

Alvarado wasted no time demonstrating his value in filling in for the injured Miles McBride, lunging for loose balls and injecting energy into any lineup he's sniffed over three games as a Knick.

His most recent outing, a 26-point role player masterclass that featured eight made 3-pointers and five steals, fully encapsulated the Alvarado experience. He'll bother any guard or wing he can and play productively from the backcourt on the other end, making for just the kind of intense pest that the regularly-used lineups otherwise lacked.

Sochan's been less reliable in his career-long struggles at defining his own scoring approach, one of the features that did him in with his previous San Antonio Spurs. Regardless of his defensive potential, he failed to hold up next to other homegrown draft picks like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, the sort of expectations won't follow him to New York.

The Knicks are playing smart in locating these margin pieces to shore up their defense, a surging element of their current team that once stuck out as their weak point. Even while Yabusele balls out at his new home in Chicago, New York's back-to-back swings on hungry rotational bets looking to earn minutes and bother opponents every time they leave the bench makes for sound process.

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