Knicks 'Not Amenable' to Including Young Duo in Trade

Miles McBride and Jericho Sims could have valuable upside in a trade or on the floor and the New York Knicks seem more interested in the latter.

Beyond Jalen Brunson, few, if any, seem truly safe from the New York Knicks' never-ending trade gossip, especially with established superstars potentially up for grabs. The Knicks themselves, however, appear uncomfortable with including two of their younger assets. 

Per Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks' supposedly untouchable list features young pair Miles McBride and Jericho Sims, reserves chosen in the 2021 NBA Draft. 

"Neither Sims nor McBride would be headliners in a trade since they are on cheap salaries and are out of the rotation," Katz said. "Other teams have tried to land them as throw-ins before, and the Knicks haven’t been amenable, league sources told The Athletic. 

"They like those two too much just to give them away. I couldn’t see either Sims or McBride moving unless their salaries were necessary to make a major trade work."

Katz's personal list includes Brunson and his newly-signed collegiate teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.

McBride and Sims were not mainstays in head coach Tom Thibodeau's nine-man rotation established last season but managed to make noticeable impressions during fill-in duty when injuries struck. Sims was a brief starter when Mitchell Robinson was hurt and made enough of an impression to earn a late invite to the Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City, placing in third. McBride, on the other hand, earned some praise for his defense when he stepped in for an ailing Brunson and/or RJ Barrett.

Both Sims ($1.9 million cap hit in 2023-24) and McBride ($1.8 million) are the lowest cap hits on next year's salary cap table beyond the training camp/Exhibit 10 deals. They stand as affordable depth options that have filled in well in prickly situations. It's relatively basic to the naked eye, but that could be enough to keep them off the block. 

---

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Knicks? Click Here.

Follow AllKnicks.com on Twitter.