Knicks Face Hidden Risk the Longer They Delay Miles McBride Trade

New York Knicks president Leon Rose generally makes trades two times of year: draft night, and at/near the February trade deadline. The one exception was two years ago, when the Karl-Anthony Towns deal was consummated a few weeks before the season opener.

In order to maximize the 2027 Knicks’ odds of repeating as champions, Rose is going to have to make another move outside his comfort zone.

Miles McBride is one of the names that comes up the most when speculating about who the team might trade to better balance a roster short on bigs. Neither the fans nor the Knicks want to see him go, but the hidden costs of going all the way are the things you leave behind. If Deuce is going to be the non-starter departer, best to move him sooner than later, for a few reasons.

Miles McBride is Knicks' most valuable trade chip, but that could change quickly

What if McBride pulls a hamstring in training camp? Or worse? In a split second he goes from trade candidate to immovable.

Entering his fifth season, the veteran guard surely understands how the business works. That doesn’t mean he has to have loved being one of the league’s most underpaid players his entire career. Who knows how he’d feel about rehabbing and recovering with the team that's underpaid him and that he knows is looking to move on from him? Being a professional doesn’t mean you stop being human.

Deuce isn’t the only injury concern. Say it’s Karl-Anthony Towns or Andre Drummond instead. Then not only would the Knicks become Mikal Bridges-thin at the five-spot, but their desperation for a competent big would go up. So would the price other teams charge for one, knowing New York is dealing from a position of weakness. In a league where almost everyone could use more skilled size, the Knicks' buying power would weaken.

Even if McBride were only injured for a short time, that alone could cause some teams to look for help elsewhere. He’s an unrestricted free agent next summer. It’s hard enough finding a trade partner able and willing to move a credible big man for a guard even if they'd have that guard for 82 games before he could leave. Any games Deuce misses subtract from that number and from his trade value.

If the Knicks are determined to move on from McBride, there’s another reason to do so sooner than later. Whichever player takes his spot in the rotation, whether a young holdover like Tyler Kolek or a veteran like Bruce Brown, the Knicks would want to get that player in the mix as soon as possible. If Kolek replaces McBride, they’ll want him getting as many reps as he can; if it’s someone like Brown, an outsider, they’ll want to acclimate him to their players and system sooner rather than later.

In a better world, McBride, the longest-tenured Knick, wouldn’t go anywhere. Having come up through their system and as a significant member of the title-winning squad, Deuce should be getting an extension from the only team he’s known. But if James Dolan wouldn’t go over the second apron for Mitchell Robinson, he’s not going to for McBride.

And though that’s sad, there is a cruel logic in moving on from him. While his role is three-and-D guard and he does it well, McBride's been a sub-par two-point shooter most of his career. While he was a terrific 41% from distance last year, inside the arc he made only 44% of his twos, dropping to 20% in the playoffs.

McBride’s release is slower than Jose Alvarado’s, Landry Shamet’s and Jordan Clarkson’s. Every Knick guard was more efficient than he shooting twos, even Kolek. Deuce doesn’t have the ballhandling chops Alvarado and Kolek offer. In the crucible of the postseason, those minor details make all the difference.

McBride is a classic squad player, someone who’s tremendous helping a team endure the marathon regular-season. Once upon a time, that was good enough for New York. But for the first time since before anyone had heard of Watergate, the Knicks are defending a title.

The playoffs are the only time of year they’re concerned with, and the playoffs are a sprint. If they don’t move on from McBride fast, they risk falling too far back to catch up by June.

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