The Phoenix Suns only made one move at the trade deadline, but before the deal with the Milwaukee Bucks actually happened, they were linked to several players.
One of those was Guerschon Yabusele, who played for the New York Knicks and clearly needed a change of scenery. You just had to give New York Nick Richards to land him.
Yabusele has already made his mark with the Chicago Bulls
Instead, it was the Chicago Bulls who ultimately landed the Frenchman, and they also cleverly got involved in the Suns’ trade with the Bucks to land Richards as well to back him up.
No one is saying Chicago is about to make some noise in the East, but this was a smart way to end the Nikola Vucevic era without pouring a ton of money into the center position before the summer.
Yabusele is clearly playing for a new contract in the league, and he has already started a game for the Bulls, playing almost 30 minutes a night.
We don’t hate this range either, and the Suns certainly could have used it in the recent loss to the Philadelphia 76ers where they were ice cold from deep. Devin Booker was not impressed.
GIVE GUERSSCHON YABUSELE THE HOT SAUCE 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Mjpuwbbsbk
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) February 8, 2026
Although he loses out as a forward at the five, averages of 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds are by far the highest of his career for the 30-year-old.
The sample size is obviously small, but when you watch him play, you know Yabusele would fit perfectly into head coach Jordan Ott’s defensive plans.
He plays with an intensity that would fit alongside Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie, and would have been a clear upgrade over Richards for the backup spot in Phoenix.
How do we know this? The Bulls literally have both players on their roster right now, and instead of making a real big start in Richards, Yabusele has to be in that spot while Richards comes off the bench.
Maybe the Knicks would never want just Richards, and it’s not like Yabusele is worth much more than that. Even adding a second-round pick would have felt like too much.
The Suns also achieved their main goal of getting under the load at the deadline, while also creating a roster spot that will likely be used on Jamaree Bouyea.
But they are clearly trying to make the play-offs this season, and Yabusele could have provided excellent cover from the bench for 20 minutes each night.
The Knicks appeared to be short of a center in their rotation at the time and certainly could have been persuaded to acquire Richards for the remainder of the season.
Not a misstep for the Valley’s front office, but proof that there are people waiting to be picked up cheaply who can make a difference.
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