The expectation around the league is that Miles McBride will be on the move before the February trade deadline. On paper, that logic checks out: the Knicks are thin at center, not at guard, and McBride’s mix of three-point shooting, steals and low turnovers would make him attractive to plenty of teams. He’s also on a modest contract that matches the salary of the 20th pick in this year’s draft.
But there’s a strong case for New York to do the opposite and keep him.
If the Knicks are truly operating with one goal in mind - chasing another title without pushing above the second apron - it’s hard to see how moving McBride improves the roster. The backcourt depth matters, especially because availability has been such a problem.
McBride has missed a third of the team’s games since being drafted in 2022, and that still compares favorably to Shamet’s injury history with the Knicks. When McBride has been healthy, he’s filled the sixth-man role well in 2025-26.
When he hasn’t, Shamet has stepped in and produced in the playoffs. That kind of one-two insurance is exactly why the Knicks may want to leave well enough alone.
The other obvious path - flipping McBride for a big - is easier said than done. For the numbers to work, that center would need to make around $4 million or less. In a league where skilled size is always at a premium, finding a big who is both affordable and truly useful is no small task.
There’s also the matter of how the Knicks want to do business. Since Leon Rose arrived in 2020, the organization has tried to build a better reputation with players around the league.
When New York dealt RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Julius Randle, those players landed in situations that worked for them. That matters.
The Knicks are not operating like a desperate team trying to squeeze value out of every move, and they’re unlikely to send McBride somewhere he doesn’t want to go just to get something back.
Longer term, keeping McBride also fits the Knicks’ financial reality. James Dolan already refused to go over the second apron to bring back last year’s team, and while most of this group is back, the next few seasons are going to force decisions. New York has a team option on the final year of Josh Hart’s contract next season, and then the other four starters all have player options coming due in the three years after that.
That means the Knicks will eventually need to reshuffle the deck. If they don’t go on a run of four or five straight championships, change is coming at some point this decade. And if McBride is still around on a new deal worth something like $20 million, that would matter in a major way when New York is trying to make bigger moves in the second apron era.
For that reason alone, it makes sense to keep the door open on a more favorable deal. Holding McBride through the trade deadline gives Rose more time to see whether he can get him back next summer at a friendlier number. Rose has already shown he can do that, convincing Shamet and Mohamed Diawara to take less than they likely could have gotten elsewhere, while Jose Alvarado also appears to have left money on the table to return.
In a market like New York, even role players can be swayed by the opportunity and the spotlight. McBride is likely due for his first major payday after finishing a value contract, but the Knicks may be better off letting the season play out and seeing whether he’d be open to a discount before deciding on a trade.
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Eubanks would give the Knicks another body in the middle and a chance to compete for the third center role, while Konchar offers the kind of defense and rebounding that can make a reserve useful even when the ball is not in his hands. The decision matters because the final roster spots often come down to fit as much as talent, and New York appears to be weighing whether it wants size, versatility or a little of both before the bench is set. [Read more 🡒]