On Wednesday night, the Knicks decided to pick up the $1.8 million team option on Miles McBride, according to Tommy Beer.
Not surprising, as it was expected, but hearing the Knicks will in fact pick up the $1.8 million team option on Miles McBride for 2023-24, keeping Deuce on the roster for at least one more season.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) June 28, 2023
The 22-year-old appeared in 64 games, averaging 3.5 points and 1.1 assists in 11.9 minutes per game. In December, McBride averaged 19.7 minutes per game and put up 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and showed flashes of three-point shooting, knocking down 2-of-4 against the Spurs, 2-of-5 against the Warriors, and 2-of-4 against the Hornets.
However, McBride’s main value comes on the defensive side of the ball, where he was one of the Knicks’ best perimeter defenders. Of all point guards who played at least 780 minutes last season, McBride ranked 11th in the NBA in defensive RAPTOR, ahead of Marcus Smart, Bruce Brown, Patrick Beverley, and other highly touted defenders.
Still, once Josh Hart was traded to New York, McBride found himself out of the rotation and will likely be on the outside looking in next season if the Knicks were to bring back much of the same squad.
While some may question why the Knicks would pay $1.8 million for a player who is not likely to be in their rotation but having a deep and talented bench allows for contingency plans in the event of injury during the long NBA season. McBride’s presence on the roster also gives the team flexibility in terms of how they choose to build over the summer.
Prior to the NBA Draft, Ian Begley of SNY reported that other teams had called the Knicks to express interest in McBride. The team deciding to pick up the guard’s option doesn’t mean he can’t be traded, it simply means that his $1.8 million salary will be guaranteed.
Perhaps McBride becomes a piece of a larger deal as a defensive asset for another team’s rotation. Perhaps he moves back into the Knicks rotation if they trade away Immanuel Quickley or Quentin Grimes.
While it’s unclear how it will all resolve itself, McBride’s presence on the Knicks gives the team yet another asset for an interesting summer.
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