The Best Time for Knicks to Trade Miles McBride Is Clear

If the New York Knicks don't have any intention of extending Miles McBride because they have to worry about paying Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, it could be time to watch another beloved player go elsewhere.

Right now, the organization is being careful about who they pay. Seeing Mitchell Robinson head to the Celtics was the first sign, and Miles McBride's time in New York could be a victim of another financial constraint.

As the Knicks get closer to opening night, it feels like there is less and less chance of them extending McBride. If that's the case, the best time to trade him could be before the season begins on Oct. 20, when the Knicks take on the Sixers.

Why Miles McBride trade makes sense for Knicks before season begins

Before that date, he'd have his highest value. You never know what can happen between opening night and the trade deadline, and since he admitted he was only 50% after his sports hernia surgery, trading him now mitigates the potential of another injury derailing trade hopes, or his poor playoffs form following him into the start of this season.

"I'm probably 50% healthy through the playoffs"

–– Deuce McBride on coming back a few weeks before the playoffs after ~2 months out with sports hernia surgery pic.twitter.com/ommZlDHcK7
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 6, 2026

In addition, a player like McBride on an expiring deal is at least more appealing if he's a full-year rental, which he'd be if acquired ahead of opening night. This way, his prospective next team could have the entire season to help him get settled in and work toward possibly keeping in town for the long-term.

If McBride was instead dealt in February, closer to the trade deadline, he'd be a flight risk for his next franchise with only two months left on his deal. This would likely lead to less being offered in a package to land the guard, since the trade partner in this scenario would be in major jeopardy of seeing McBride depart with the allure of testing free agency right around the corner.

McBride's perceived value is quite important for the Knicks if they're to flip him for a useful player in return. He's demonstrated his impact on the court and is adored by analytics, which makes him legitimate trade bait to land a good backup center or a contributor with more contract control still left.

The chances of nabbing either big help or a longer-term piece go down, however, if McBride is less sought after—due to poor play, injury, or having even less time left on his contract—which provides New York plenty of motivation to cash out now instead of dragging its feet.

Potential options to trade McBride for

The ideal outcome would be the Knicks trading McBride for a strong backup center who could solidify the rotation behind Andre Drummond, or even surpass the veteran by the time the playoffs roll around.

So far, New York has had trouble doing just that, with the Pelicans in particular turning Leon Rose away on both of their centers. But given there's more scenarios where McBride's value goes down, rather than up, it behooves Rose to do all he can to pull off a McBride-for-center swap now, especially since the incoming big would then get a full season to adjust instead of joining down the stretch in February.

Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) shoots the ball as Chicago Bulls guard Mac McClung (5) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Knicks deal him for a non-center, realistic options include guys like Justin Champagnie and Ryan Dunn, as Knicks On SI's Steve Simineri hypothesized earlier in the summer. Neither are perfect, but both are cheap options that could potentially have a few years of control, whereas McBride's time with the Knicks could be over after this year even if they do decide to keep him.

The 6-foot-6 Champagnie has a $3 million team option worth picking up after the 2027-2028 season, and Dunn has a $2.7 million team option this year and a $5 million option the next. Realistically, McBride is better than both of these guys, but both fit their budget as they wait on Brunson and KAT extensions.

Of course, as far as winning is concerned, losing McBride would be a bummer. Just as it's been tough to replace what Mitchell Robinson brought the Knicks, the same goes for McBride. Unfortunately, these are the challenges that face contenders in the second apron world.

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