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.
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.
