The Knicks’ decision to bring back Jose Alvarado does more than keep a tough, familiar guard in the mix. It also sharpens the picture around a roster that may soon have to make a painful choice, and Miles McBride is the name sitting right in the middle of it.
McBride has spent five years carving out a real place in New York, and he just turned in the best season of his career, averaging 12.0 points while shooting 41.3 percent from deep. That kind of production, paired with his growing reputation inside the organization, would normally make him a player worth holding onto. But the Knicks are staring at a financial squeeze, and the message has been clear: staying under the second apron is going to require sacrifices.
Mitchell Robinson is already a reminder of how serious that pressure is. He’s in the final year of his current three-year, $13 million deal, and with the production he’s given the team - plus the championship experience he’s now added - he’s the kind of player who could be looking for a bigger payday in 2027 free agency.
That’s part of why McBride is being viewed less like a core piece and more like an asset. New York is projected to carry the second-highest payroll in the league in two years, and with Tyler Kolek and Alvarado both under contract for the next few seasons, McBride starts to look like an expiring, movable piece whether the Knicks want that to be true or not.
The front office may already be looking at him as a way to solve another problem: backup center depth.
Andre Drummond is seen as a solid answer after Mitchell Robinson’s departure left that spot open, but the Knicks may not be done there. Moving McBride could open the door to a bigger upgrade at the five, and that idea has already started making the rounds.
On a recent episode of the Game Theory podcast, The Athletic’s Bryce Simon said Deuce is “the name that stands out to me” when discussing possible trade add-ons. Podcast host Sam Vecenie went even further, suggesting McBride and Pacome Dadiet could be packaged for a “pretty decent backup center.”
With the expectation that McBride may be gone after next season anyway, and with James Dolan’s reluctance to enter the second apron hanging over everything, the Knicks have a very obvious trade lane in front of them. The question is whether they’ll use it before the February deadline.
In Other News...
Knicks Reward Landry Shamet With Long Term Deal After Title Run
Landry Shamets value to the Knicks went well beyond the box score during their championship run, where he gave them needed shooting and steady defense at exactly the right time. His best stretch came in the Eastern Conference Finals, when he helped stabilize the rotation and fit neatly into a team that leaned on versatility and timely shot-making all spring.
Now the Knicks have made sure that contribution is part of their longer-term plan. Shamet agreed to a four-year, $24 million contract that gives New York some security without fully locking in every season, and team president Leon Rose made clear the organization views him as more than a short-term piece after the way he helped push the club to the title. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Fans Just Learned How Much Brunson Was Really Dealing With
Jalen Brunson is headed for offseason surgery on his left wrist, a move the Knicks have been able to put off until now because of how deep their run went. The procedure is expected to keep him on the shelf for about two months, but the bigger point for New York is that the team is finally addressing an issue that had been hanging over its star guard as it pushed through the spring.
Brunson is expected to be ready by the start of next season, which matters as much as anything for a Knicks team built around his availability and steadiness. The surgery is meant to prevent the wrist from getting worse and to protect his long-term health, leaving the organization with a brief offseason concern but no reason to believe its centerpiece will miss opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Already Regret This Cost Cutting Draft Decision
The Knicks spent draft night looking for savings, trading back in the 2026 NBA draft to trim rookie costs before bringing back Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet. On paper, it was a tidy bit of roster management, the kind of move that helps a team preserve flexibility while filling out the back end of the rotation. But the cost-cutting approach also meant passing on a couple of intriguing young players who fit obvious needs for a team trying to balance win-now depth with a little long-term upside.
Cameron Carr and St. John's Zuby Ejiofor have both looked the part early in Summer League, which only sharpens the question of what the Knicks gave up by moving back. New Yorks veteran-heavy roster already leaves little room for developmental mistakes, and the ripple effects of that draft-night decision could reach beyond this summer if the team keeps trying to squeeze in more proven pieces around the edges. [Read more 🡒]