Miles “Deuce” McBride will begin the 2026-27 season as the most experienced player on the New York Knicks roster following Mitchell Robinson’s departure. He has established himself as a key player for the reigning champions, posting a career-best average of 12.0 points per game while shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc last season.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks and McBride’s representatives have maintained consistent communication, although New York’s financial limitations may complicate efforts to secure a long-term contract extension. Begley highlighted that McBride has certainly earned a raise, as he has significantly outperformed his current contract, which pays him $13 million over three years.
McBride is now entering the final year of his contract, and a major hurdle for a new deal is Knicks owner James Dolan’s directive to stay under the NBA’s $221 million second apron salary threshold this season. With likely extensions coming for players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and eventually Jalen Brunson, the Knicks’ salary commitments will rise, limiting the financial flexibility for McBride’s contract. Consequently, it appears McBride may have to bear the financial impact if they want to keep him.
Despite these challenges, both sides remain hopeful about reaching an agreement. Begley noted that ideally, a multi-year extension would be secured as McBride is deeply committed to New York and has been crucial to the team’s recent success.
However, if an extension cannot be reached, trading McBride before next season’s deadline remains a plausible—and tough—option. McBride is regarded as potentially the best sixth-man trade asset in the league and would likely draw considerable attention from other teams.
For now, McBride will start the upcoming season with one year left on his current deal and will be looking forward to the memorable night in late October when the team receives their championship rings.
Fan Take: This situation highlights the growing complexities of managing talent within the NBA’s salary cap framework, especially for emerging key contributors like McBride. How the Knicks handle his future could set an important precedent for balancing financial constraints with retaining valuable role players, which is crucial for sustaining championship contention.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
