As the New York Knicks gear up for a potential NBA Finals bid in 2025-26, team president Leon Rose is tinkering around the periphery of his roster.
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New York is bringing back all of its 2024-25 top seven — All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, All-Defensive forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, rim-rolling center Mitchell Robinson, guard Josh Hart, and young point guard Miles McBride — and bringing in key veteran free agent signings Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson.
But questions abound about the fringes of new head coach Mike Brown’s roster. Rose signed a trio of veteran guards to non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 training camp contracts. Due to a hard cap situation, New York can only sign one of Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews to its standard roster, at present.
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It seems likely that the Knicks want to bring in at least two of these seasoned additions. To free up real estate for more veteran personnel, New York would need to make a trade, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
So who’ll be on the chopping block?
McBride is the only legitimate rotation piece who’s thought to be possibly on the trade market, per Bondy. Bondy notes that second-year players Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kotek are the other two “most direct paths” to carving out some cap room.
Bondy reports that some key New York decision makers think very highly of McBride, who at 25 still may have some upside worth exploring. Last year, he averaged 9.5 points on .406/.369/.813 shooting splits, 2.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals across 24.9 minutes for New York.
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That said, Bondy reports that “multiple teams around the league” are interested acquiring the 6-foot-1 West Virginia product, who’s in the midst of a very team-friendly three-season, $13 million contract extension. For now, New York is not looking to move him in a trade, but he may fetch the better return over Dadiet and Kotek.
McBride is already in the midst of an efficient run in the preseason so far.
In two exhibition games for New York, McBride has been averaging 7.0 points on 60 percent field goal shooting, including 40 percent 3-point shooting, along with 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.
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