The Knicks entered free agency with little money available and a very real need: to strengthen their bench. And two days into free agency the Knicks have achieved that goal.

After coming to an agreement Monday with Jordan Clarkson on a veteran minimum deal to provide backcourt scoring punch off the bench, the Knicks used their taxpayer midlevel exception of $5.7 million to sign Guerschon Yabusele to a two-year, $12 million deal. The second year will be a player option.

Yabusele was originally a first-round pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft, but after spending two seasons with little playing time with Boston he left to play overseas. He was in China, France and Spain for five seasons before playing well for France in the 2024 Olympics, scoring 22 points against Canada in the quarterfinals. He then scored 17 to help France beat Germany and finally 20 points in the final against the United States. He signed on with the Philadelphia 76ers last season and with the team struggling through injuries got an opportunity and flourished.

Yabusele played 70 games, starting 43, and averaged 11 points per game, shooting 38% from three-point range on nearly 4 attempts per game.

For the Knicks he likely will take the place of free agent Precious Achiuwa. At 6-8, 260-pounds, the 29-year-old Yabusele can serve as both a power forward and center as Achiuwa did last season. But Yabusele is a more dangerous threat from beyond the arc than Achiuwa, who has shot under 30% beyond the arc for three straight seasons.

By utilizing the midlevel exception the Knicks triggered the second apron, although they remain below it in total salaries. With Clarkson’s veteran minimum, the Knicks payroll is now $204 million, clear of the $207,824,000 threshold. According to a league source there is virtually no way for the Knicks to avoid the second apron even with days left before these contracts officially are in place — that it would require a move like Milwaukee made Tuesday, waiving and stretching Damian Lillard, to get the team sufficiently under the cap to make it work, meaning that the Knicks would have to sacrifice one of their highest-paid stars to fit in Yabusele.

The trigger means the Knicks can not exceed the second apron — hard-capped at that number. But they do avoid the restrictive CBA rules of the second apron by staying below it.

The Knicks are now restricted to using only veteran minimum deals to add to the roster. They have 12 players under contract, in addition to second-round pick Mohamed Diawara, who could remain overseas, and Kevin McCullar, who the team tendered a qualifying offer to Sunday.

The Knicks still can add though and some of their own free agents remain a possibility. Landry Shamet has yet to find another landing place and was a solid contributor in the postseason. Delon Wright, who the Knicks traded for at the midseason deadline, also was a solid option when Jalen Brunson was injured during the regular season and again when the team needed a defensive guard against Indiana in the postseason.