Miles McBride’s time with the New York Knicks may be running out as he enters the 2026-27 season on an expiring $3.9M deal.
Per multiple insiders, the Knicks did not sign McBride to a contract extension before the August 11 deadline, so they could potentially use him as a trade chip ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. That wouldn’t have been feasible if McBride signed a new deal.
One interesting Knicks trade idea doing the rounds would see Mike Brown’s team acquire veteran defensive specialist Kris Dunn from the LA Clippers.
Knicks Trade Idea Lands Kris Dunn
Knicks would receive: Kris Dunn
Clippers would receive: Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet
After the hypothetical trade, the Knicks would have only 12 guaranteed contracts, giving them the flexibility to reserve a roster slot to pursue a buyout candidate.
Why the Knicks Do It
Dunn’s offensive limitations — a career 33% shooter from deep — has hurt his value in a decade-long career. But there’s no denying the 6-foot-4 guard can lock up the best scorers in the league on the other end of the floor. So much so that Clippers head coach Ty Lue started Dunn in more than 80% of his games over the last two seasons, while also empowering him to shoot open threes. Dunn responded well, making at least 1.0 three per game last season at an improved clip of 37.4%.
On the Knicks, Dunn would be needed for 15-20 minutes a night, at the most, playing behind reigning Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, and sharing the second-unit workload with Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek.
The loss of McBride — New York’s most consistent bench piece in the last three seasons — would hurt. However, with Shamet stepping up big time in the playoffs, and Kolek projecting to get more minutes in his third season, the Knicks may finally be ready to move on from McBride. Furthermore, Clarkson re-signed with New York and is reportedly determined to earn back a steady role in Mike Brown’s second unit.
At this stage, the Knicks may benefit more from the skill set of Dunn, one of the best wing defenders in the league. It also helps that Dunn is on an expiring $5.6M salary.
Why the Clippers Do It
The mock trade allows the Clippers to take a flyer on 21-year-old French wing Pacome Dadiet, who showed flashes of an NBA-level player in the G League last year, and also in the limited minutes he received with the Knicks.
McBride could be a low-risk, high-reward move for the rebuilding Clippers. At 25, he perfectly fits the timeline of a Clippers team preparing to build around the young core of Keaton Wagler, Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin.
Some analysts also foresee McBride to take a Nickeil Alexander-Walker-type leap when given a new opportunity. Last year, Alexander-Walker won Most Improved Player when unleashed as a starting guard on the Atlanta Hawks after playing an ancillary role with the Minnesota Timberwolves for several seasons.
Knicks Proposed to Trade Miles McBride for Veteran Defensive Specialist