Miles McBride’s future with the New York Knicks remains uncertain, but the two sides have not stopped talking.
The Knicks and McBride’s representatives have maintained regular contact ahead of the 2026-27 season, SNY’s Ian Begley reported in his latest mailbag. In an ideal scenario, those conversations would produce a multiyear extension for the longest-tenured player on New York’s roster.
The problem is not McBride’s performance. It is the championship team’s increasingly unforgiving financial reality.
McBride is entering the final season of the three-year, $13 million extension he signed in December 2023. He will earn approximately $3.96 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Few NBA players have outperformed their contracts by a wider margin.
The 26-year-old guard averaged career highs of 12.0 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds last season while shooting 41.3% from the 3-point range. He also supplied the perimeter defense and low-maintenance floor spacing that made him a natural fit beside Jalen Brunson.
Second Apron Complicates Miles McBride Extension
Knicks owner James Dolan has said the organization will not cross the NBA’s second salary-cap apron, set at approximately $221.69 million this season.
That mandate leaves team president Leon Rose with little margin for error.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are eligible for extensions, while Brunson eventually could command another substantial commitment. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges already carry significant long-term salaries. Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado also are under contract for multiple seasons.
McBride has earned a considerable raise, but adding another eight-figure annual salary without moving money elsewhere could push New York toward the line Dolan declared off-limits.
There is, however, a path for the Knicks to reward McBride without surrendering their flexibility at the trade deadline.
Knicks Can Extend McBride and Preserve Trade Eligibility
The Knicks allowed an informal Aug. 11 extension deadline to pass, initially creating the impression that a later agreement of significant value would prevent McBride from being traded before February.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post subsequently corrected that interpretation.
Bondy reported that McBride could sign an extension worth approximately three years and $55 million while maintaining his trade eligibility. A properly structured agreement could give McBride the raise he has earned and protect New York from losing him for nothing in unrestricted free agency.
NBA rules impose a six-month trade restriction only when an extension exceeds certain limits involving its length, first-year salary or annual raises. McBride’s deal could be structured to remain within the applicable boundaries.
That distinction matters. The Knicks do not necessarily have to choose between extending McBride and keeping him available in trade discussions.
They may still have to choose between paying him and preserving the rest of their expensive championship roster.
McBride Remains Knicks’ Best Trade Chip
McBride loves New York and has developed from the No. 36 pick in the 2021 draft into an essential part of the Knicks’ rise. Regular communication with his representatives indicates neither side has closed the door on continuing the relationship.
His combination of production, age and bargain salary also makes him one of New York’s most valuable movable assets.
The Knicks spent the offseason looking for another center after Mitchell Robinson joined Boston and Ariel Hukporti signed with Philadelphia. Their attempts to acquire younger big men, including Yves Missi, Karlo Matković and Moussa Diabaté, produced no deal. Dallas also matched New York’s offer sheet for Moussa Cisse.
McBride’s salary alone cannot bring back a prominent center under the NBA’s matching rules. Packaged with another contract and draft compensation, however, he could headline an attractive offer for a younger big man under team control.
The Knicks are not there yet. Begley described a trade as a logical possibility, not an imminent outcome.
Regular communication provides time to find another solution. But the underlying tension remains unchanged: McBride has become too valuable to lose for nothing—and perhaps too valuable for the Knicks to retain cheaply.
Knicks Make Notable Miles McBride Move Amid Trade Speculation