Knicks Mailbag: What’s Miles McBride’s future with New York?

It’s another edition of Knicks Mailbag, with SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley ready to answer your questions surrounding the team. Let’s get started…

What’s your read on McBride’s future with Knicks? Is he a likely trade piece for a big? Love him but feels hard to see him extended – @SBart_89

**This one is tricky because Miles McBride has definitely earned a raise. He’s outplayed his contract (3 years, $13 million) by a significant amount. The problem here is that the Knicks are up against the NBA’s second apron. According to owner James Dolan, the Knicks will not exceed the second apron in team salary ($221 million) this season. Let’s assume Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and – eventually – Jalen Brunson sign extensions. With those extensions on the books, the Knicks will have significant money committed to the starting five.

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Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado are also under contract for multiple seasons. So there isn’t much financial wiggle room for a McBride extension.

Things can change, of course. Maybe the Knicks move off of future salary in a trade and open up some money. Maybe Dolan and the Knicks decide to increase future spending without regard for the second apron. It’s worth noting that the Knicks and McBride’s representatives have been in regular contact ahead of the season. In a perfect world, those conversations would produce a multi-year extension for McBride.

The longest-tenured Knick, McBride loves New York, loves his teammates; he was an integral part of this team’s rise. The fact that he’ll likely have to play this coming season with contract uncertainty is a shame.

Yes, McBride on an expiring contract is one of the most valuable trade chips in the league. He would garner significant interest if New York made him available via trade – either in-season or in the offseason. We’re certainly not there yet. But logic tells you that’s where things could be headed.

Do you think any of the second-year Nets guys are poised for a breakout season? – @Jayis2serious

Have to go with their highest 2025 first-rounder, Egor Demin. He showed the most promise as a rookie and, according to friend of The Putback, Albert Ghim, organizationally, at least one of the Nets’ five first-rounders needs to take a jump this season. If that happens – and lottery pick Markel Brown Jr. shows promise – the Nets will be building a nice foundation amid the rubble of the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving-James Harden era.

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We all know the starting five and the two or three first guys off the bench, but is there someone you can see on this roster outside of those guys turning into a big-time contributor? – @tbrucato

Just looking at the roster, there is no direct path to minutes for any of the young guys. But last year’s club relied on strong stretches from multiple non-rotation players. Mike Brown didn’t hesitate to go with younger players if a rotation player got hurt or struggled. That said, it’s hard to see any of the young non-rotation players making consistent, significant contributions this season. The top of that rotation seems to be set. One other note on free agent signings ahead of training camp: veteran center Tony Bradley has also been a player on the Knicks’ radar. The Knicks do not currently have a third center, but there is a strong degree of confidence internally in the Karl-Anthony Towns-Andre Drummond duo at the position.

** I answered a question from @AndrewA59778512 last week, but I cited @sbart_89 as the reader. My apologies for the mix-up. My opinion on @sbart_89’s background photo remains the same as it was last week. I love it.