Knicks praised for signing former 76ers backup center

The New York Knicks have made a pair of key free agent signings so far this offseason. One of which was adding former Philadelphia 76ers backup center Guerschon Yabusele on a two-year, $12 million contract.

Knicks get high grade for Guerschon Yabusele signing

Yabusele now joins a Knicks team gearing up for a title run in the 2025-26 season, and he provides them with great floor spacing and physicality in the frontcourt. ClutchPoints’ Caleb Nixon approves of the signing as well, grading the deal a B+ for New York.

“As poor of a season as it was for the Philadelphia 76ers, their struggles only opened the door for Yabusele. His career year included 70 games, averaging 11 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest,” Nixon wrote. “However, the shooting numbers were most impressive for the 6-foot-8 power forward – 50.1% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.”

The Knicks needed to fortify their bench this summer after employing a rough second unit last season. New York was dead last in bench points per game and near the bottom in nearly every major offensive category.

Now, they not only added Yabusele to give them frontcourt depth, but they also signed Jordan Clarkson for a contract worth the veteran’s minimum. Both players figure to be key parts of the bench next season and should help improve the scoring significantly.

Yabusele gives the Knicks more versatility

As for Yabusele, he can play a variety of roles under new head coach Mike Brown. While he figures to be a backup forward off the bench, he can also be used as a small-ball five or as a three in taller lineups thanks to his versatility on both ends.

Yabusele is 6-8 and 260 lbs, making him someone who can play many different roles. He has shown that he can have a positive impact in many different ways, even taking over as the 76ers’ center last season when Joel Embiid went down.

New York will have a much deeper rotation next season with the addition of Yabusele, and they have every reason to believe that a big year for them is coming next season.