The Knicks are discussing a Guerschon Iabusele trade with the Spurs, Pelicans and others

As it is NBA trade deadline February 5th is coming, New York Knicks have been actively discussing several options on the trade market including French forward Gershon Yabusele, league sources told ClutchPoints. The San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans are two teams with which the Knicks recently, among others, had an extensive dialogue.

With the Knicks facing their second cap crunch, they are unable to recoup more than their outgoing salary in any potential trade over the next two weeks. Not only is it Yabusele is involved in the trade dialoguebut New York is also exploring the possibility of tying minimum-contract players into said discussions, particularly second-year guard Pacom Dadieto, sources said.

Between the two deals, the Knicks have about $8.3 million to play with and look to add one or two impact talents for what the organization believes can be a championship push this season. It’s worth noting that New York already has an open roster spot, and trading two players for one before the deadline would force them to add at least one more player to their roster.

In talks with the Spurs, the Knicks inquired about the 2022 ninth overall pick Jeremy Sochansources said. Socan is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be a restricted free agent in the summer. His defensive versatility at any forward position and cutting abilities in attack would fit New York’s style of play.

Although Socan is out of the Spurs rotation, there has been internal pushback in San Antonio to the idea of ​​trading him, sources said. Spurs continue to value Socan’s presence and have yet to indicate that they will replace him before this year’s deadline. Although San Antonio is interested in adding more frontcourt help behind star big man Victor Wembanyama, Yabusele is no longer as high on the target list.

Despite being friends with Vembanjam due to their time with the French national team, Spurs are evaluating other options in the market, which is why talks with the Knicks went cold late last week. Many in the NBA are wondering if San Antonio is closing in on a deal using Kelly Olynyk’s expiring $13.4 million cap hit.

Knicks-Pelicans trade talks

In addition to talks with the Spurs, the Knicks were also in direct dialogue with the Pelicans, as were many other teams around the league, leading up to the trade deadline. New Orleans receives calls every day from combat teams inquiring about Trey Murphy III and Herb Jonesbut league sources say New York’s focus is on two players: Jose Alvarado and Ivo Misa.

The Knicks were inquiring about Alvarado’s availability from the Pelicans since before the holidays in December, and New Orleans is showing a willingness to switch from a defensive-minded guard. Multiple other teams, including the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves, have also held talks with the Pelicans about Alvarado.

If Alvarado were to join the Knicks, he would fill a key need for reliable secondary play in the backcourt behind All-Star guard Jalen Brunson.

As for Mission, the recent All-Rookie center took a backseat to newly minted big man Derrick Quinn in New Orleans. The 21-year-old big man and his camp feel disrespected by the Pelicans for his significant minutes reduction, and tensions have built between the two sides, sources said.

Not only does Missy want an elevated role, but the organization is showing a lot of interest in him, making him one of the most likely players to be on the move before this year’s trade deadline. HoopsHipe’s Michael Scotto has also been covering the Knicks recently calling About Alvarado and Misa.

The Knicks are one of several teams with strong interest in Mission, sources said. With him in the second year of his rookie deal, any team rumored to be looking for additional frontcourt depth has likely called the Pelicans to discuss a potential trade. Multiple teams in the Eastern Conference, including New York and the Toronto Raptors, have held trade talks for Missy with New Orleans.

Even with teams calling up Murphy, Jones, Alvarado and Mission before the trade deadline, the Pelicans are focused on finding ways to add assets in the draft, particularly to get back a 2026 NBA draft pick. New Orleans traded their own first-round pick in this year’s draft to trade up and select Quinn with the 13th pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

The Pelicans are also reaching out to teams to gauge interest in former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray and former NBA champion Jordan Poole, sources said. It will be difficult for New Orleans to move either player and get assets in return before the trade deadline.

The pool was on the trading market since early December, as reported by ClutchPoints.

Knicks keep Naji Marshall trade interest amid Jabusele discussions

In addition to the Knicks’ recent talks with the Spurs and Pelicans, New York is one of several teams that have also expressed interest in a trade for Dallas Mavericks wing Najib Marshall, sources said. With the lack of wing talent on the market this season and the growing demand for such players, Marshall is expected to command a significant market, with some around the league suggesting Dallas could land a first-round pick when all is said and done.

What the Knicks decide to do before the trade deadline, especially with Jabusele and his contract, will directly affect their championship efforts.

Last offseason, Jabusele attracted significant interest as an unrestricted free agent, especially after a strong performance in one year with the Philadelphia 76ers. Not only were the Knicks interested, but the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, 76ers and Spurs were known suitors around the league for the 30-year-old.

In the end, Yabusele decided to sign a a two-year deal worth nearly $12 million with the Knicks holding a player option for the 2026-27 season worth about $5.8 million. However, Knicks CEO Leon Rose and his front office made the decision to sign Yabusele before bringing in Mike Brown as Tom Thibodeau’s successor on the sidelines.

In 39 games this season, Yabusele is averaging just 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in roughly 9.2 minutes per game while shooting 39.2 percent from the floor. His inability to break Brown’s night rotations in New York is why the Knicks are forced to trade him for an even more impactful talent before the trade deadline in less than two weeks.