Knicks Will Sorely Miss Miles McBride

The New York Knicks have been healthier than most over the first two-thirds of the 2025-26 regular season, still armed with the vast majority of their treasured on-court pieces amidst their quest for momentum entering the playoffs.

There's been one exception to that generalization, though, and it hasn't applied to any of the players who've attracted considerable worry in the past. The usually-brittle Mitchell Robinson's churned out the games like he hasn't in year over the last few months, and OG Anunoby has been attendance for more than 75% of New York's outings.

Instead, it's been Miles McBride who's having to miss out on the current rotation, and the Knicks are continuing to miss his services. He's recovering from surgery involving a sports hernia that's expected to sideline him until the playoffs, a loss that can explain much of the struggles and alterations that have defined the Knicks of early-2026.

New York Knicks Guard Miles McBride — Jan 17, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) sets the play while defended by Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Jose Alvarado may have ended up on the Knicks anyway in an alternate universe that never accounted for McBride's bum ankle, but that loss in versatility is a direct credit to New York's drive to trade for the New Orleans Pelicans irritant and the vacant minute opening that he walked right into.

He ended his time in the Knicks' rotation shooting 42% from 3-point distance on 6.9 attempts per game to account for a fair chunk of his 12.9 point per night average, with each of those numbers ringing in as a career-high for the fifth-year New Yorker. That newfound effectiveness from the perimeter aided his playmaking and the Knicks' bench lineups, traits that are sorely missed on the defensively-tilted iteration of his squad.

How Would McBride Help Right Now?

Alvarado may produce more highlights as a hounding deterrent, but McBride is no slouch himself on that side of the ball. His screen navigation was part of what helped him work his way into Mike Brown's heart in the first place, and as fun as he is, the former Pelican can't come close to matching his predecessor's consistency and creativity as an outside shooter.

New York Knicks Guard Jose Alvarado — Feb 22, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) shoots against Chicago Bulls Rob Dillingham (7) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

McBride made a name for himself as one of Jalen Brunson's most reliable backups, another ball-handler who can create his own shots without someone else to spoon-feed him. And as Brunson succumbs to the toll of the regular season and his taxing workload, consider him as relief for the MVP-candidate.

His eventual return was officially pushed past the end of the regular season this week, and though that storyline may not help the Knicks' ongoing odyssey for consistency in their lineups on the outset, but there's no question that the group will be better with him available. The guard has long-since proven himself as one of the most trustworthy members of New York's backcourt rotation, and especially as buyout acquisitions like Jordan Clarkson and Jeremy Sochan prove themselves incapable of slotting into two-way supplementary roles, McBride is more appreciated and missed by the day.

His Knicks have finally crawled away from the losing days that he had to witness before getting hurt, but now that the novelty of their new-and-improved defense is wearing off, another scoring boost out of the reserves is due to captivate New York's fan base. With any luck, he'll be ready to go by the postseason, and Brown can avoid another headache should McBride be as ready to play as he's always been.

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