Knicks Notes: Yabusele, Alvarado, Anunoby, Brunson, Magic

Unless Guerschon Yabusele‘s play and role with the Knicks change substantially over the next several weeks, both sides would probably be better off parting ways prior to the February 5 trade deadline, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link).

As Bondy explains, Yabusele was New York’s primary free agent addition over the summer, having signed the French forward to a two-year, $11.25MM contract using the taxpayer mid-level exception. However, the signing took place prior to the hiring of new head coach Mike Brown, and Yabusele hasn’t fit well in Brown’s fast-paced offensive system.

Yabusele becomes trade-eligible on Monday, and while he wouldn’t be viewed as a positive asset on his own, his salary could be useful for matching purposes, Bondy notes. The Knicks could use a backup point guard, and Bondy cites Jose Alvarado as a player who might fit the team’s needs.

Alvarado, who earns $4.5MM this season with an identical player option for 2026/27, would be a popular name on the market if the Pelicans make him available to trade, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), who says the Knicks would be among the teams with interest in the New York native.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

• Forward OG Anunoby has quickly shown his importance to the Knicks after returning from a hamstring strain earlier this month, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The Knicks have gone 3-0 with Anunoby back in action and are now 76-36 (.679 winning percentage) when the 28-year-old plays during the regular season since they traded traded for him in 2023/24, Schwartz writes, compared to 25-20 (.556) when Anunoby has been unavailable. “OG, he was all over the place,” Josh Hart said after Tuesday’s win in Toronto, when Anunoby keyed a second-quarter run. “He really helped start that run and then we were able to get stops, play fast, get out in transition and play to our strength. Huge shoutout to him, really changed the tide of the game.”
• Brown continues to push star guard Jalen Brunson‘s MVP candidacy, as Andrew Crane of The New York Post relays. When asked if Brunson is already among the greatest players in franchise history, Brown didn’t hesitate to give an affirmative reply. “He’s been here long enough,” Brown said Thursday. “He’s helped them win a lot of games. Obviously, he did start in Dallas, but he was a little younger. It wasn’t his team. He wasn’t really the guy. He came here, it’s his team, he’s the guy here, he’s an MVP candidate, like I said, and so what he’s doing is definitely franchise-altering, and again, that has to be taken note [of]. Not just in the MVP race but also within the community of New York.”
• Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal will mark New York’s fourth matchup with Orlando this season, with the Magic winning the first two contests before the Knicks claimed the third last Sunday, observes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Saturday could be a potential playoff preview for two teams hoping to come out of the Eastern Conference. “I don’t feel it’s on the rivalry level yet,” Brown said after Thursday’s practice. “It can be in due time, but I don’t think it’s there yet.”