In the offseason, teams that needed an energetic, floor-spacing, hustle-mentality big man loved the story of Guerschon Yabusele. He completed the glorious NBA comeback story, and with the New York Knicks catching his eye, the two parties agreed on a two-year deal. However, Yabusele has utterly disappointed the Knicks’ front office, and as Marc Stein reported on ‘The Stein Line,’ he is on the trade block.
Yabusele is certainly a mixed opinion trade target for the LA Clippers. To some, he is still valuable and just needs an opportunistic system, and to others, he is not worth $5+ million this season, with a player option for 2026-27.
Yet Yabusele's talent is undeniable. Shooting three-pointers, crashing the glass, and showing effort wherever he can apply it is the exact description of what the LA Clippers need on their bench.
Thus, for the right price, the Clippers should acquire Yabusele, who can raise the team’s ceiling in the postseason.
Guerschon Yabusele has always been at a disadvantage with the New York Knicks
Guerschon Yabusele already proved he is capable of succeeding in the NBA. He averaged 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds on the Philadelphia 76ers a season ago, while shooting 50.1% from the field and 38.0% from three.
Furthermore, entering the ‘Big Apple’ following a notable run with the 76ers should have led to a massive door right away. It would have been in Mike Brown’s best interest to start Yanusele’s season off with a consistent flow of over 25 minutes per game.
Then, if a great sample size had room to grow, and Yabusele’s underperformed, it would have been fair for Brown to talk with his assistants and give his minutes away to a more deserving option.
But Brown failed Yabusele from the jump. The veteran big man averaged 27.1 minutes per game with the 76ers, but with the Knicks, he averages less than 10. It is not like his minutes were high then dropped due to disappointment, as Brown had him playing in a limit since the season opener.
Hence, the LA Clippers should give Yabusele the benefit of the doubt and assume that a better environment would do wonders for his game.
That said, an open mind could lead to Yabusele at the deadline and seriously help the team later in the year. He could be brought to the Clippers for Chris Paul and Kobe Brown, which is basically a low-risk, high-reward deal for Lawrence Frank.