The New York Knicks found one of the NBA’s best bargains when they signed Miles McBride to a three-year, $13 million extension in December 2023. The same contract that once made McBride unusually valuable could now help push him out of New York.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic identified McBride as the Knicks’ most likely meaningful trade candidate before the 2027 deadline, provided the two sides do not agree on another extension before the season.
This was informed speculation, not a report that New York is actively shopping McBride. Still, Edwards’ reasoning reflects the uncomfortable financial decisions confronting a championship roster.
“Unless the two sides reach an agreement before the start of the season, it feels like we’re heading toward a departure just based on history,” Edwards wrote in his Knicks mailbag.
McBride will earn approximately $4 million in the final season of his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. At 25, he is positioned to command a substantial raise that the Knicks may struggle to accommodate.
Miles McBride Has Outgrown Bargain Contract
New York’s investment in McBride has already delivered an enormous return.
The Knicks acquired him as the 36th pick in the 2021 NBA draft and initially used him as a defensive specialist at the end of the rotation. His improved shooting eventually made him a dependable two-way guard.
McBride averaged a career-high 12 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 26.3 minutes last season. He shot 41.3% from 3-point range on 6.6 attempts per game, tying Josh Hart for the best percentage on the team among qualified players.
He also supplied one of New York’s defining performances during its championship run. McBride scored 25 points and made seven 3-pointers in a second-round victory over Philadelphia.
The issue is no longer whether McBride belongs in an NBA rotation. It is whether New York can afford to pay him his market value.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Hart have extension decisions approaching, while another Jalen Brunson contract will eventually require attention. The Knicks already allowed longtime center Mitchell Robinson to leave for Boston after owner James Dolan declined to push the payroll into the second apron.
Edwards argued McBride could become another casualty of that financial ceiling.
Team president Leon Rose has generally avoided allowing valuable players to reach unrestricted free agency without clarity on a new contract. If extension talks reveal a significant gap, trading McBride would allow New York to recover value instead of risking losing him for nothing.
McBride Trade Could Address Knicks’ Center Need
McBride’s role may also be easier to replace than it was a year ago.
The Knicks have Brunson, Jose Alvarado and Tyler Kolek in a small guard group. Landry Shamet provides additional shooting at 6-foot-5, while Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson can absorb backcourt minutes.
McBride is listed as a point guard, but his best NBA work has often come away from the ball. He pressures opposing guards defensively and punishes defenses as a spot-up shooter rather than consistently organizing the offense.
That skill set remains valuable. It also overlaps with several options already on the roster.
New York’s more pressing weakness is behind Towns and Andre Drummond. Edwards expects Drummond to remain the primary backup center unless the Knicks use McBride to acquire an upgrade.
The current free-agent market offers few appealing big men. A trade may be the only realistic route to adding a center capable of strengthening the rotation before another postseason run.
McBride’s low salary complicates matching money for an established player, but his age, shooting, defensive reputation and expiring contract give him genuine trade value. He could headline a package involving another salary and draft compensation.
The Knicks would prefer to retain a player they drafted and developed into a champion. Yet their roster is expensive, their financial flexibility is disappearing and McBride has earned a raise.
That combination makes an extension the cleanest solution and a trade increasingly plausible if no agreement arrives.
Knicks Insider Predicts Championship Guard Will Be Traded Before Deadline