February 5: The trade is official, according to the Bulls, who say they also received cash from the Knicks in the deal (Twitter link). New York sent $500K to Chicago, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Knicks will flip Terry to New Orleans in order to acquire Jose Alvarado, as we detail in a separate story.
February 4: The Bulls will acquire Guerschon Yabusele from the Knicks in exchange for Dalen Terry, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
New York had reportedly been looking to unload Yabusele for several weeks, but couldn’t find a taker because of his $5.7MM player option for next season. Chicago decided to take the risk on a player who was effective last season in Philadelphia but has struggled since joining the Knicks.
Rumors had emerged that the 30-year-old Yabusele was considering going back to Europe, where he was a star for five seasons, but this trade will likely quash that speculation. The Bulls intend to hang onto the Frenchman, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Yabusele was only averaging 8.9 minutes per night in 41 games with New York, but he figures to see a larger role in the Bulls’ revamped frontcourt. Chicago has been in need of additional size all season and agreed to trade starting center Nikola Vucevic to Boston earlier this week.
The Knicks get a small amount of savings by swapping Yabusele’s $5.5M salary for Terry, who’s making $5.4MM in the final season of his rookie contract and is on a path for restricted free agency this summer. The 23-year-old shooting guard was selected with the 18th pick in the 2022 draft, but he hasn’t been able to earn a consistent rotation spot during his four years in Chicago.
The deal increases the Knicks’ space below the second apron from $148,359 to $249,241, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link), allowing them to sign a 15th player on March 26 instead of waiting until April 2.
New York can still ship Terry to another team before Thursday’s deadline, and Gozlan believes they’ll likely get more interest in his expiring deal than they did in Yabusele.
Knicks really wanted Yabu gone.
Out of shape and he is not having a good time back in league. He will probably head back to Europe.
Where the game is more half court and he can legally decapitate people. Ask Dante Exum.
Traded this guy for an expiring contract? Masterful. His spot can be used for the buyout market
Good riddance …👋👋
Dalen Terry — the 18th pick in 2022 draft- SG ….. i hope he plays D. We can use that…..
He is quite good at running.
Sumo wrestler warm body
* sumo wrestler for warm body
at least we got bigger somehow
Wider …… he was scoring on French team. Then did nothing on Knicks.
Good player yabu…Mike Brown just never played him.
He got a decent amount of run early in the year, he was just quite bad whenever he played. He came into the season bulked up (his words) and it has not helped seemingly. But also hard to play your way into shape when you’ve got eight minutes per night too. Just didn’t work out.
Not Mike Brown’s fault that Yabu came into the season overweight, slow, and unable to hit shots. Through the first 20 games of the season, Yabu was averaging 10 minutes a game but shooting .352/.270/.500 with 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds. He played himself out of the rotation. Very simple, no need to stir up some nonsense about Mike Brown.
Now get rid pat will
I want Precious and Russ …….
Two second rd picks and Kolek ……..
Let’s go Sacramento ……
Yuk
My sentiments too!
My sentiments too! This
I won’t miss Terry obviously but it’s funny the Bulls finally make a move for a big man and still don’t move one of their excess guards lol.
Agreed, theyre still loaded. More moves to come no doubt
I don’t blame mike brown for Yabu. i blame the front office for Yabu over Precious. Precious wanted to stay in New York. I wasn’t expecting that player back in return. But I guess better than nothing.
Yabu is French and now because of basketball he’s played in Boston, Philly, NYC and now Chicago. Quite a resume. Let’s hope Yabu and Kuminga find their ways with teams willing to play them.
Yabu is now listed as a point guard on the Bulls website.
Originally had Jalen Smith for Yabusele, but this is even better. Saw Terry earlier this month airball a layup, and not sure if that might be the worst play I have seen this year on the team. Defensively he’s alright, nothing special but he’s just lanky. Offensively, he plays timid and doesn’t have ANY dribbles. He also isn’t a spot shooter because he can’t knock it down from distance at a respectable clip. I am SOOOOOO happy we got someone who can actually play basketball. Yabusele will give us some size and toughness. He is a poor man’s Taj Gibson to me. Gibson was a fantastic weak side defender, and we have a need for a role he does well.
A+ on this deal. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY
Now do Polio Williams next.
Dalen Terry will see no floor time for the Knicks. He’s an expiring contract that might get traded for a vet minimum guy or waived/bought out. Getting Terry was not the point. This was a move to get off Yabusele’s 2nd year option. With the Knicks no longer tied to the $5.7M next year, that money can go towards re-signing Shamet or Robinson.
NYK deal doesn’t do much for this season. No good buyout candidate is going to wait until March 26th (any more than April 2nd).
They’re off Yabu for next season, but that can work either way. They won’t have his expiring deal to use in a trade. I never got the feeling the desire to get rid of him was all about his contract, it was just too small.
I imagined that the Knicks would have to give up a 2nd to get off the Yabu money. Their internal conversations were probably like “hey, let’s try to get off this without attaching assets by calling the Bulls and the Pels.”
Bulls have a grand total of 3 first round picks they’ve made playing on their own roster: Noa Essengue, Matas Buzelis and Patrick Williams.
If you add in the number of second round picks they’ve made currently playing on their own roster, the number increases by zero.