The New York Knicks let Mitchell Robinson walk to stay under the second apron of the luxury tax. As such, it’s feasible they don’t re-sign impending free agent Miles McBride, who enters the 2026-27 season on an expiring $3.9M deal.
But the Knicks realize that McBride has high trade value around the league. One of the league’s best backup point guards, “Deuce” is also a hard-nosed defender and isn’t afraid to take and make big shots.
One interesting Knicks trade idea doing the rounds would flip McBride for the Brooklyn Nets‘ Noah Clowney, a 22-year-old stretch big with high upside.
Knicks Trade Idea Adds Clowney
Knicks would receive: Noah Clowney
Nets would receive: Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet
Why the Knicks Do It
Clowney, a 6-foot-10 prototypical stretch-4, has the versatility to also play the five position, giving the Knicks an interesting piece behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. He can also feature in certain lineups at the four spot next to Towns or Drummond, or even at the five in small-ball units next to OG Anunoby.
Last season, Clowney averaged an impressive 2.0 made threes, while tallying 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 27.0 minutes across 60 starts.
The loss of McBride would hurt, but Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson will still be there to anchor the second unit, with Tyler Koley projecting to get more minutes. At this stage, the Knicks may benefit more from the skill set of Clowney, whose versatility makes him an interesting gamble.
It also helps that Clowney is a restricted free agent next season, giving the Knicks the leverage to hold onto him if he emerges as a good fit.
Why the Nets Do It
As an NBA champion, McBride will bring instant credibility to a young Nets locker room. But the 25-year-old is still young enough to be a part of Brooklyn’s young core of Egor Demin, Mikel Brown Jr., Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf.
Many believe McBride has the skillset to turn into a starting-level guard when given an opportunity, much like the leap Nickeil Alexander-Walker took with the Atlanta Hawks. The Nets have nothing by putting the ball in McBride’s hands, even if just for one year.
As for Noah Clowney, the Nets have a huge decision to make on the 22-year-old as he heads into restricted free agency. The Nets spent the offseason crowding their frontcourt—adding Moritz Wagner and Julius Randle alongside core long-term pieces Day’Ron Sharpe and Josh Minott. Unless Brooklyn is genuinely committed to paying the Alabama product next summer, moving him makes sense. Meanwhile, picking up McBride offers dependable backcourt depth behind second-year guard Egor Demin and incoming rookies Mikel Brown Jr. and Nolan Traore.
Knicks Projected to Trade Miles McBride for High Upside Stretch Big