The Knicks may be getting pushed toward a Miles McBride decision sooner rather than later.
With New York trying to keep an eye on what it owes Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, the front office has already shown a willingness to be selective with its money. Mitchell Robinson’s move to the Celtics was the first real hint, and McBride could be next if the team doesn’t plan to extend him.
That makes the timing pretty straightforward. If the Knicks are going to move on, the best window may be before opening night on Oct. 20, when they face the Sixers. McBride would carry more value then than he would later in the year, and the risk only grows as the season moves on.
There are a few reasons for that. McBride has already said he was only 50% healthy after his sports hernia surgery, which makes any injury concern part of the equation.
If New York waits, it also runs the risk of his poor playoff form carrying over into the new season. A trade now would give the Knicks a cleaner sell.
It also matters that McBride is on an expiring deal. A team trading for him before the season would get him as a full-year rental, which is a much more attractive setup than bringing him in at the deadline with only two months left on his contract.
In February, he becomes more of a flight risk. That usually means less return in a deal.
And that return is the whole point for New York. McBride has been productive and the analytics crowd loves him, which gives the Knicks real leverage if they want to turn him into something useful.
A backup center would be the cleanest fit, especially one who could back up Andre Drummond or even push past him by playoff time. A player with more contract control would also make sense.
The problem is that the Knicks haven’t been able to get that done yet. The Pelicans, in particular, have already turned Leon Rose away on both of their centers. Still, the longer New York waits, the more chances there are for McBride’s value to slide because of injury, performance, or the simple fact that his deal keeps getting shorter.
If the Knicks do go another direction, there are cheaper non-center possibilities too. Steve Simineri of Knicks On SI floated Justin Champagnie and Ryan Dunn earlier in the summer.
Champagnie is listed at 6-foot-6 and has a $3 million team option after the 2027-2028 season. Dunn has a $2.7 million team option this year and a $5 million option the next.
Neither is better than McBride, but both fit the budget while the Knicks wait on Brunson and Towns extensions.
That’s the tension here. Trading McBride would hurt New York on the court, just like losing Mitchell Robinson did. But in the second apron world, these are the choices contenders have to make.
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