Knicks 'Receive Calls' on Miles McBride Trade; Contract Decision Looms
Here comes the McBride ... trade?
Miles McBride is at the center of one of the New York Knicks' most vital internal decisions: as a restricted free agent, McBride can either be granted a $1.8 million team option from the team that made him the 36th overall pick of the 2021 draft, get traded, or go unrestricted by the time the July transaction rush begins. The Knicks have until June 29 to decide on that option.
SNY's Ian Begley is reporting that the Knicks have indeed addressed inquiries about a McBride trade as the countdown ensues.
"The Knicks have received calls on guard Miles McBride, whom they certainly value," Begley said. "Head coach Tom Thibodeau has always spoken glowingly about McBride when reporters ask a question about him. But McBride hasn’t gotten regular time in the Knick rotation to date due to a logjam at his position. So teams are wondering if they can acquire McBride, the Knicks’ 2021 second-round pick, via trade."
The trade comes too late to thrust the Knicks into the 2023 NBA Draft but it's easy to see why an asset like McBride would be on the trade block: metropolitan observers have lauded the West Virginia alum for his defensive tenacity but his role more or less became redundant upon Josh Hart's arrival in February.
McBride was a part of Tom Thibodeau's ironclad nine-man rotation for nearly two months but he became a de facto exile once Hart joined the fold. Over the final 25 games of the season, McBride played over 12 minutes on only seven occasions and was held out of six games entirely. McBride then averaged 2.5 minutes over eight postseason appearances.
The Knicks appear to have a genuine, lasting NBA talent in McBride. Whether those skills are realized in Manhattan or elsewhere remains to be seen (especially with Hart expressing interest in extending his New York stay), but there at least seems to be a quick resolution ahead.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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