The New York Knicks have to finalize their roster by Saturday. They want to keep more than one veteran player on their active roster, but unless a trade is made before Saturday, they only have enough room to keep one.
Knicks reluctant to include Miles McBride in trade talks
New York has been active in the trade market, looking for a suitor to take on potentially a younger player for salary relief and sign an additional veteran. The team’s top bench player, Miles McBride, has also been dangled in those trade discussions.
However, it is highly unlikely they trade him before the start of the season, but there is one caveat that doesn’t make the odds of trading him zero percent. According to Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints, the Knicks will only consider moving McBride if an extension cannot be reached with the guard.
“One source familiar with New York’s situation said that for the team to want to deal McBride, they’d need to have serious doubt that they could agree to a second extension with their 2021 draft pick,” Pursiainen wrote. “There haven’t been indications that the Knicks will have trouble agreeing to new terms with McBride when the time comes. But if the organization has doubts, they’re more likely to act “early” before it’s “too late.”
McBride has two seasons left on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The backup guard is on one of the best value contracts in the NBA, as he is making roughly $4.3 million as a main second unit option.
McBride is very important for the Knicks’ bench
Following the blockbuster trade to acquire OG Anunoby in December 2023, the Knicks signed McBride to a three-year, $13 million extension. At the time, he was in and out of the rotation and rarely saw the court.
However, he immediately became one of their most important bench pieces on both ends of the floor. He is expected to have that same impact this season, even with the reinforcements they added over the summer to enhance the bench unit.
It is unlikely that they will move McBride this year, but they will want to get that situation sorted out sooner rather than later to ensure they are getting the best return possible if they decide to shop him.