After Mitchell Robinson, Knicks Could Lose Another Key Piece Ahead of Championship Defense

After letting Mitchell Robinson walk this summer, Miles McBride may be on his way out as well.

After Mitchell Robinson, Knicks Could Lose Another Key Piece Ahead of Championship Defense

Miles McBride (Image credits - Sports Illustrated)

The New York Knicks are heading into a new season as defending champions for the first time in over five decades. Last season, they went on a historic playoff run that saw them lift their first championship since 1973.

During the playoffs, the Knicks went on a 13-match winning streak. After trailing 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, they won the next three games and went on to clean-sweep the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the next two rounds. They sealed the championship by taking out the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals in five games.

The Knicks have done a good job in retaining their core players for the upcoming season. They have managed to keep Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges.

However, they were forced to let go of Mitchell Robinson in the summer to stay under the second apron. Robinson played a key role off the bench during their title run last season.

He became a fan favorite in New York, and his exit saw several Knicks fans pay tribute to him. But it looks like another player will be on his way out as well.

Miles McBride was traded to the Knicks immediately after getting drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021. He played for the Knicks for five seasons, and all signs point to him parting ways with the franchise at the February trade deadline or next offseason.

New York Times writer James L. Edwards III believes that the Knicks cannot afford to keep McBride as he is in line for a major payday next summer.

Unless the two sides reach an agreement before the start of the season, it feels like we’re heading toward a departure just based on history. McBride has greatly outperformed this current contract. Surely, he’s looking for a substantially larger annual salary than the $4 million-ish he’s been earning the last three seasons.He’ll likely get the pay bump he’s looking for in the open market.

James L. Edwards III for The Athletic

McBride has developed significantly over the past three seasons. He has become an efficient three-point shooter and is a solid on-ball defender as well. He averaged a career-high 12 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 41 appearances last season.

While the Knicks would love to keep McBride, they simply cannot afford to keep him beyond next year. Brunson, Towns, and Hart have extensions looming; hence, it is possible that they could see McBride as more expendable.

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New York Knicks may trade Miles McBride at the deadline for a backup center

The loss of Mitchell Robinson will be felt next season. He is one of the league’s best offensive rebounders and gave the Knicks important minutes off the bench last season. Similarly, McBride’s departure will be felt when it is time for him to leave.

Miles McBride
Miles McBride (Image credits – Yahoo Sports)

However, the Knicks will look to trade him for a backup center at the trade deadline rather than letting him go next summer as a free agent.

New York will get a third center between now and the start of the regular season. A trade — and we’ve established that McBride seems most likely to be traded among the players with real value — is the only way I could see the Knicks getting a backup center.

James L. Edwards III for The Athletic

The options available for a backup center in the open market are not very appetizing at the moment. The New York Knicks did sign Andre Drummond as a free agent in the summer, but it is expected that they will acquire a third center on their roster at the trade deadline.

The New York Knicks want to repeat next year

The Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson, are going to be hunted next season. The Eastern Conference has gotten a lot harder after some big moves in the offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown and then went on to sign LeBron James. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat made one of the biggest trades in the summer when they acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo.

However, Brunson has already moved on from last season and is focused on the 2026-27 campaign.

We don’t want to speak of the trophy. We don’t want to talk about the trophy. We don’t want to see the trophy. We want to come in with the same mindset — if not an even tougher one — than we had last year.

No team has won back-to-back championships since the Golden State Warriors in 2018. The Knicks are no longer the hunters and will be playing with added pressure next season as teams come for their throne.

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