Knicks Report: 'No Interest' In Trading Bench Star to Nets
Here comes McBride ... back to the New York Knicks?
The Knicks and their fans are heavily anticipating the arrival of Mikal Bridges, who was reportedly traded to Manhattan from the Brooklyn Nets last week. But, in an effort to avoid hard cap calamities, the Knick will have to add to the trade before all is said and done. That will more than likely include a player, as the Knicks sent future first rounders to Brooklyn with veteran Bojan Bogdanovic.
Miles "Deuce" McBride would perhaps become one of the prime names on the block but SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley reports that the team will seek other avenues.
"The Knicks have virtually no interest in trading Miles McBride as part of the Mikal Bridges acquisition, according to people familiar with the matter," Begley said on Sunday evening. "The Knicks still need to add money to that trade so they can avoid being hard-capped at the first apron. The current version of the trade would leave them capped at a team salary of around $178 million. They are surely searching for ways to avoid that hard cap."
"They can do so by sending out more salary in the Bridges trade than they are taking in."
McBride signed a three-year, $13 million extension on Dec. 30, the same day of the Knicks' groundbreaking trade for OG Anunoby. The second-round pick from 2021 averaged 10.7 points and 2.1 assists as one of the Knicks' first men off the bench, which complemented his defensive skillset. He further impressed during the Knicks' postseason run, averaging 11 points and 2.2 rebounds in the 13 games (2 starts).
The Knicks revealed last week that McBride underwent a procedure on an injured toe but he is expected to be ready for next season's tip-off.
With McBride said to be out of the picture, Begley says that the Knicks have "had dialogue" on moving reserve center Jericho Sims. McBride's fellow 2021 arrival got buried on the depth chart behind Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, and Precious Achiuwa but the team reportedy picked up its 2024-25 option on him on Saturday.
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks