The Knicks’ quiet 2026 offseason is doing more than keeping the roster intact. It’s also setting the stage for Miles McBride to become one of the team’s most interesting award candidates next season.
New York has mostly stood pat, with James Dolan’s refusal to go into the second apron shaping much of the decision-making. The one notable change mentioned is that the Knicks replaced Mitchell Robinson with Andre Drummond, but otherwise the group remains largely together after a title-winning season.
That approach says plenty about how the Knicks view the roster. The core is already in place, and the belief now seems to be that the supporting cast can rise with it. That’s where McBride comes in.
At 25, he’s younger than the rest of New York’s top group and still has room to climb. OG Anunoby could take another step on offense after a strong postseason, but he is already 29 and may not have much more growth left.
Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson are also 29, Josh Hart is 31, and Karl-Anthony Towns is 30. In other words, the Knicks’ main pieces are already deep into their prime years.
So if New York is going to get better in 2026-27, it likely has to come from the players around that core. McBride is a natural fit to make that leap, especially after a career year.
He averaged 12.0 points, 2.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 2.7 three-point field goals made in 26.3 minutes per game last season, shooting .423/.413/.787. On the defensive end, he ranked in the 92nd percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 97th percentile in off-ball chaser defense, per Basketball Index.
That production looks even better when you factor in the sports hernia surgery that interrupted his progress, something he ideally won’t need to deal with again.
McBride already has a case as one of the league’s best 3-and-D guards, and the opportunity ahead of him could push him into award territory. With Robinson gone, he should be the Knicks’ clear top reserve, and he’s already been trending upward. Between 2024-25 and 2025-26, he raised his scoring by 2.6 points and his three-point makes by 1.1 per 36 minutes.
If that offensive growth continues and New York asks him to carry even more of the load, McBride could end up in the mix for both Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year. The Knicks may be keeping the roster mostly the same, but the setup gives their sharpshooting sixth man a real chance to break out in a bigger way.
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