The New York Knicks and Miles McBride appear destined to part ways by the February trade deadline or next offseason.
Insiders anticipate the 25-year-old guard to earn a big pay day next summer — a price the Knicks simply cannot afford after already letting Mitchell Robinson walk to avoid the NBA’s second apron. With his expiring $3.9M salary making him a highly appealing asset to rival teams, an intriguing Knicks trade idea is doing the rounds.
Knicks Trade Idea Lands Yves Missi
Knicks would receive: Yves Missi
Pelicans would receive: Miles McBride (via TPE)
On paper, this deal works as clean as a whistle. While the Pels would absorb McBride using the $4.5M TPE they created as part of the Jose Alvarado transaction, the Knicks would add Missi’s rookie-scale contract without crossing over to the second apron.
Why the Knicks Do It
The Knicks made a strong push for Yves Missi before the Feb. trade deadline last season, with some insiders calling him a “dream” trade target for the Leon Rose-led front office. Ultimately, the Pelicans decided to hold onto the 22-year-old Cameroonian big. New York has ample reason to revisit the trade talks after losing Mitchell Robinson.
The loss of McBride, arguably New York’s best bench player over the last three seasons, will hurt. However Landry Shamet’s postseason emergence and Jordan Clarkson re-signing with the Knicks makes McBride a little more expendable than seasons past. Furthermore, Tyler Kolek is poised to receive more playing time in his third year, giving Knicks more of a reason to move on from McBride.
Missi could be a game-changer for a Knicks team that could use a little more rim protection and rebounding. The third-year big averaged 10.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks PER36 minutes in his first two seasons with the Pelicans, flashing a lot of upside.
Why the Pelicans Do It
For the simple idea of making Derik Queen the undisputed starting center of the future. Missi unfairly spent most of his second season on the bench after starting 67 games as a rookie — to accommodate Queen more than anything else.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, Missi was not thrilled being relegated to a bench role in his second season.
“The 21-year-old big man and his camp feel disrespected by the Pelicans for his major decrease in minutes, and tension has formed between the two sides, sources say,” Siegel reported back in January.
At some point, the Pelicans have to decide between the two. The obvious answer is Queen, who has higher upside and star potential.
Swapping Missi for McBride could be a huge win for the Pelicans. McBride, 25, is young enough to fit into their youth movement, and serve as a nice backup to Dejounte Murray and Jeremiah Fears. “Duece” also has the ability to play alongside both the duo as a combo guard, with his ability to make big shots and play quality defense.
Knicks Trade Pitch Flips Miles McBride for ‘Dream’ High Upside Center