The New York Knicks are in unfamiliar territory. They are coming off of a fairly successful season. But New York can't be satisfied with consecutive playoff eliminations. Sure, the Eastern Conference Semifinals are great, but it's been 51 years (and counting) since the Knicks won a championship. They are beyond overdue, but they are closer than they've been in a long time. There's been considerable noise around the idea of adding another star. Fortunately, the Knicks have sufficient assets and tradable contracts to do so. But it likely includes Bojan Bogdanovic and Miles McBride, too.
Bojan Bogdanovic could be on the move
The trade deadline deal that added Bogdanovic and Alec Burks was done for two reasons. The Knicks definitely wanted to add a playmaker who could elevate the Knicks when Jalen Brunson sat. Sadly, Bogdanovic was just figuring out how to impact that game in limited minutes before suffering a foot injury in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs. Remember, Bogdanovic regularly played 30 or more minutes per game between 2017-18 until he was traded to New York in February. That's an understandably difficult adjustment.
While Bogdanovic brought utility for the 2024 playoff push, the Knicks also added him for his $19 million contract. Bogdanovic's contract expires after the 2024-25 season, making it all-the-more attractive in a trade. And it's only guaranteed for $2 million, meaning New York can technically waive Bogdanovic with limited financial liability.
But Bogdanovic's utility is less clear entering next season. He is 35 years-old and coming off of two injuries (wrist and foot) that required surgery. Sure, his contract is more desirable to a rebuilding team than is a longer-term deal, but it's probably not enough to entice a team into giving up a star. And that leads us to McBride.
Miles McBride might be a victim of his own success
Unfortunately, McBride might have played himself out of New York. McBride bounced between the Knicks' G-League affiliate and its main roster for much of his first two seasons. He was obviously a bigger part of the Knicks' plans in 2023-24; however, when Immanuel Quickley was sent to Toronto as part of the OG Anunoby deal, McBride received an even bigger opportunity. And he capitalized.
All of a sudden, McBride looked like a seasoned veteran. After averaging just 2 points per game through the first 17 games of the year averaged, McBride scored 8.3 points per game in January, 9.8 in February, and 13.9 in March. And he (mostly) kept it rolling in the playoffs, reaching double figures in seven of the Knicks' 13 playoff games.
But it's not only McBride's production that makes him attractive to competing teams. The 23 year-old just signed a three-year/$13 million deal that will play him $4.7 million next year. So, he's locked into an affordable and descending deal. And there are very few guys in the league who can produce like McBride on similarly affordable deals.
Addition by subtraction (of McBride)
So, the idea that McBride is in demand is well established. Trading away your only backup point guard is rarely wise; but here's the thing, a backup point guard is only needed for about 13 minutes per game. Jalen Brunson averaged 35.4 minutes per game in 2023-24. So, keeping McBride strictly to back up Brunson could prove counter-productive.
But there is a need for another playmaker. And packaging McBride with Bogdanovic could entice some teams into a deal. Granted, we're talking about only teams that underperformed expectations last season and are open to a rebuild. The salaries of Bogdanovic and McBride add up to $24 million. That's nearly as much as Dejounte Murray. Or Anfernee Simons. Or Mikal Bridges. Those are all major upgrades.
Sure, New York would have to include draft picks, too. In fact, any of the aforementioned players would require multiple draft picks. But the inclusion of McBride could make the difference in a deal.
The Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Brooklyn Nets are all somewhere in the rebuilding process. No one knows what any of their thoughts are on this type of deal. But youthful, impactful, and affordable players are the name of the game for rebuilding teams (along with draft picks). So, including McBride could move the needle on a deal. And if adding someone like Murray or Bridges costs the Knicks McBride, so be it.
Will a deal like the one mentioned above come to fruition? We'll have to wait and see. But it looks increasingly likely, as the only other option to add another star is trading Julius Randle. And at the end of the day, who is more impactful to winning, Randle or McBride?
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