"NOT WHAT I EXPECTED" — GUERSCHON YABUSELE’S HONEST ADMISSION ABOUT HIS FAILED NEW YORK STINT
Guerschon Yabusele admits his New York Knicks season is a disappointment as trade talks with the San Antonio Spurs lose momentum.
Guerschon Yabusele, wearing #28 for the New York Knicks, found himself matched up against Sion James of the Charlotte Hornets in the first half at Madison Square Garden. But off the court, things aren’t quite so straightforward for Yabusele or the Knicks.
New York’s been trying to trade the veteran forward, but it hasn’t gone smoothly. The San Antonio Spurs, once thought to be interested, started backing away as the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline got closer.
According to Brett Siegel at ClutchPoints, talks between the Knicks and Spurs have basically stalled. San Antonio is rethinking things — especially when it comes to giving up young forward Jeremy Sochan, who the Knicks wanted in a potential deal.
The Knicks took a shot at landing Sochan, who was the ninth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and is wrapping up his rookie contract. He’s set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Siegel pointed out that Sochan’s defence and ability to attack the basket would mesh well with New York’s style, but people inside the Spurs aren’t on board with trading him.
Even though Sochan’s role with the Spurs has been up and down, San Antonio still likes his potential and hasn’t shown any real willingness to move him. That means Yabusele, who once seemed like a perfect fit for the Spurs — partly because of his connection with Victor Wembanyama — is no longer a priority.
The Spurs are still looking to strengthen their frontcourt behind Wembanyama, but Siegel reports they’re now looking at other options, including possibly using Kelly Olynyk’s expiring $13.4 million contract as a trade chip.
Early on, a lot of people thought that Yabusele’s experience playing with Wembanyama on France’s national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics might push San Antonio to bring him in. Yabusele played well there, helping France win a silver medal and putting himself back on the NBA radar. But that Olympic connection just isn’t enough to sway the Spurs, especially since they don’t want to mess with their young core or send Sochan packing.
As talks started to fizzle late last week, some around the league wondered if the Spurs were closing in on a different deal entirely—one that would take them out of the Yabusele sweepstakes for good.
Yabusele, meanwhile, seems to know where things stand. He told The New York Post’s Jared Schwartz that his first year in New York has been a letdown. “It’s definitely not what I was expecting coming into the season,” he admitted before Saturday’s win over the Sixers. “I thought it would be a little more different.”
Last year, he was a regular part of the Sixers’ rotation. This season, he’s barely seeing the floor for the Knicks — averaging just 9.2 minutes in 38 games, and he went scoreless in three minutes against his old team on Saturday.
Social media hasn’t exactly calmed the rumours. Yabusele recently shared—then deleted—a tweet from a French account that said, “A trade and a good situation for the captain [of the French national team], that’s all we’re asking.” It fuelled speculation that a move could be on the way.
He’s kept his comments pretty measured, though. “It’s nothing that I can control,” Yabusele said. “Just try to be smart, prepare, and be as ready as I can. When my name is called, give everything on the court.”
He also posted, and quickly deleted, a cryptic message: “Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m extremely blessed to be in the position that I am today. Minor setback for a major comeback — that’s my favourite.” Some took it as a sign that a trade was about to happen, but so far, nothing has come together.
With San Antonio cooling off, the Knicks are still working the phones, looking for ways to shake up their roster and add some balance up front—all while trying to stay under the NBA’s tough salary cap limits. They’ve reportedly had talks with the Pelicans and a few other teams, but time is running out, and the options are thinning. For now, Yabusele’s future is still up in the air.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.
The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.
And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.
There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.
Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.
KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.
Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.
This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.
Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.
“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”
Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.
Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.
“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”
Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.
Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.
“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”
Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.
“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”