Miles McBride did not negotiate through the cameras Thursday. He did, however, make his feelings about New York unmistakably clear.
In video from Cantor Fitzgerald’s annual 9/11 Charity Day that Knicks Fan TV shared, McBride reflected on the only NBA home he has known while his representatives remain in contact with the New York Knicks about his future.
“Yeah, New York means a lot,” McBride said. “It’s the only team I’ve known playing in the NBA. It’s seen me grow up, seen me develop, and the community here has welcomed me in. And I feel like from Day 1, that’s just been a lot of love, and I couldn’t have been more appreciative of being here.”
The community welcomed me in since day 1 and it makes me more appreciative to be here”
– Deuce McBride at Cantor Fitzgerald’s 9/11 Charity Day
The timing gave those words additional weight.
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 in 2026-27 before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
That contract has become one of the NBA’s greatest bargains. It has also placed the Knicks in an uncomfortable position following their championship run.
Knicks, McBride Have Maintained Contact
SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks and McBride’s representatives have been in regular contact ahead of the season.
No agreement has emerged, and the arithmetic remains difficult.
New York has substantial long-term money committed to its starting lineup, with possible extensions for Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and eventually Jalen Brunson creating additional pressure. Owner James Dolan has said the Knicks do not intend to cross the $221.7 million second apron this season.
McBride has clearly outplayed his current salary, but paying him market value would require New York either to increase its future spending or remove other guaranteed money.
That uncertainty has fueled trade speculation. McBride’s modest expiring salary, age, perimeter defense and playoff experience would make him one of the Knicks’ most attractive trade assets if the front office pursued another center or rotation upgrade.
Still, his remarks Thursday sounded like those of a player who wants the relationship to continue—not one preparing for an exit.
McBride’s New York Roots Run Deep
Selected 36th overall in the 2021 NBA draft, McBride developed from an end-of-the-bench guard into a trusted member of a championship rotation. He is now the longest-tenured player on the roster following Mitchell Robinson’s departure for Boston this offseason.
New York watched McBride endure inconsistent minutes, earn Tom Thibodeau’s trust and become an important two-way contributor under Mike Brown. McBride, in turn, experienced the franchise’s transformation from an emerging playoff team into an NBA champion.
His comments came at an event with particular meaning to the city. Cantor Fitzgerald’s Charity Day honors the 658 employees the company lost in the Sept. 11 attacks and raises money for charitable organizations.
McBride did not provide a contract update or directly address the trade speculation. His message was more personal.
For a player facing an uncertain future, emphasizing what New York and its community mean to him was not a contractual commitment. But with negotiations potentially determining whether his Knicks tenure continues beyond this season, it was his clearest public indication yet of where he would prefer to remain.
Miles McBride Breaks Silence Amid Knicks Extension Talks, Trade Rumors