Miles McBride Still Stands Out as Most Likely Knick to Be Traded This Offseason

The consensus around the league seems to be that the Knicks are more or less finished making major moves this offseason. It would make sense if they are just taking their time deciding on which center to bring in as their third string big man.

There's no reason to really make drastic changes if something is clearly not broken and with most major contributors returning. But, Leon Rose has pulled off some big trades out of nowhere in the past.

While OG Anunoby had always been linked to the Knicks as a target, the trade to acquire him came pretty suddenly. As was the case for the Knicks' big trade for Mikal Brides. And the largest trade, which was for Karl-Anthony Towns, had to have also been the most surprising.

At this point, even if the Knicks are seemingly operating on the margins, you can never count out Rose and the Knicks' front office to materialize a trade out of thin air. But with much of the core likely staying in tact and recent re-signings not available for trades at the moment, who would the Knicks even send out?

The unpopular, but most logical answer is Deuce McBride.

Why Knicks could still explore Miles McBride trade late in offseason

Losing the now longest-tenured Knick would be a tough pill to swallow. He remains one of the best values in the league at just under $4 million per year while providing elite point-of-attack defense and three-point shooting.

McBride played a pivotal role for the Knicks for much of the season, being the analytics and plus-minus darling that he's often been yet again. But McBride also showed some flaws throughout the season.

The reserve guard struggled to stay on the court, playing in only 41 games this past campaign. And that's after playing in just 64 games the season prior.

Even when he was on the court, McBride had his ups and downs. It was mostly ups due to the high floor his defense and gravity provides. But his lows, especially against an elite defensive backcourt in San Antonio, might have convinced that Knicks that they can move on from him.

Despite being a point guard by size, it was clearer than ever against San Antonio that he's more of an undersized shooting guard. Even in Year Five, McBride hasn't developed much of a handle, and he struggled routinely to even bring the ball up the floor against pressing defenses.

And in the halfcourt, it wasn't much better in the Finals. He still has a difficult time creating his own shot, which greatly limits his ability to create advantages, and in turn, create shots for his teammates.

McBride can, and often does, still provide value offensively. His shot is still usually on point, and even when it isn't, his gravity is often valuable enough for his teammates to make use of. Though he isn't a playmaker, he still displays some great connective tendencies that lead to good movement and offensive possessions.

On a team that already rosters Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek, a McBride trade is palpable. Especially since his unique combination of elite defense and shooting on a very team-friendly deal could net the Knicks a better backup center than anything available on the free agent market at this moment.

New York would definitively get worse from a backcourt depth perspective as it lose one of its best role players. But the Knicks would still be dealing from a point of strength and depth.

If they believe in Kolek to develop, and are comfortable with the combination of Alvarado, Shamet, and Clarkson, McBride could still find himself wearing a different jersey come opening night. Were they to do that, there should be plenty of teams interested in the backup.

As Knicks fans have seen over the past few years, he's the kind of role player that can slot into any system and play next to literally anybody. And in a league where you can never have too many perimeter defenders and shooters, he checks both boxes.

That doesn't mean that the Knicks will, or even should, trade McBride. As the longest-tenured Knick, he's survived a lot of potential trades. It's apparent that they value him and his skill set very much. Additionally, he isn't an easy player to replace, even in aggregate.

But whether McBride and the fans like it or not, he's still the most likely player to be traded entering the second half of the offseason.

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