"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.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
_1777814568.webp)
