The New York Knicks will not reach a contract-extension agreement with Miles “Deuce” McBride on Tuesday, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post — a development that preserves the guard’s trade eligibility ahead of next season’s deadline.
Bondy cautioned that the lack of a deal does not mean McBride and the Knicks have ended extension talks. But Aug. 11 functions as a meaningful soft deadline because of the NBA’s trade rules.
If McBride signs a veteran extension after Tuesday, he would be ineligible to be traded before the February deadline, Bondy reported. By allowing the day to pass without an agreement, New York retains the option to include McBride in a trade during the coming season.
That is not the same as saying the defending champions intend to trade him. McBride, 25, emerged as one of the league’s better reserve guards last season, averaging 12 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds while making 41.3% of his 3-point attempts.
But the Knicks are navigating a roster-building exercise in which flexibility carries real value.
Knicks Need a Third Center and Financial Room
GettyKarl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket against Andre Drummond during an NBA game before the veteran center joined the Knicks in free agency. Despite adding Drummond, New York continues exploring the trade market for another frontcourt player as it prepares to defend its NBA championship.
New York has 13 players under standard contract and an obvious need behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. The Knicks are expected to add a third center before training camp, whether through a trade or veteran competition on non-guaranteed camp deals.
That need exists because the organization’s offseason cost controls helped reshape its frontcourt depth.
Mitchell Robinson left for Boston on a three-year, $47.4 million contract. Ariel Hukporti, whom the Knicks declined to retain as a restricted free agent, signed a one-year, $3.4 million deal with Philadelphia. New York could not match the financial offers available to either player without threatening its position below the second apron.
Owner James Dolan made that restriction explicit before free agency.
“Cannot go into the second apron,” Dolan said on WFAN. “I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check that goes into the second apron.”
The consequences go well beyond the tax bill. Second-apron teams face severe limits on trades and roster construction, including restrictions on aggregating salaries and using certain exceptions. For a championship team trying to improve around an expensive starting five, those penalties are not theoretical.
McBride’s $4 million salary for 2026-27 is one of the league’s most team-friendly contracts. It also makes him a potentially useful matching piece if New York identifies a center or another rotation upgrade during the season.
McBride Extension Could Still Happen Later
GettyMiles McBride of the New York Knicks dribbles against De’aaron Fox of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
McBride is in line for a substantial raise, which makes his situation different from Josh Hart’s and Towns’ extension discussions.
Bondy noted that Hart and Towns can potentially sign extensions without necessarily losing their trade eligibility. A veteran extension triggers a six-month trade restriction only if it includes a first-year raise of at least 20%, annual raises above 5%, or runs for at least four years.
McBride’s next contract is likely to include a large first-year increase from his current $4 million salary. If he signs after Monday, that restriction would run beyond the February trade deadline.
For now, the Knicks have chosen optionality.
Leon Rose’s front office can continue negotiating with McBride while retaining the ability to react to the market. That matters for a team balancing its title defense, Dolan’s second-apron mandate and a thin center rotation.
McBride remains a valued part of the Knicks’ present. Monday’s non-decision simply ensures he can remain part of any consequential discussion about their future.
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