Miles McBride's Future with Knicks Uncertain as Contract Talks Stall
The agent for Knicks guard Miles McBride stated that while his client desires an extension, the team has not been ready to negotiate, leaving his long-term future with the franchise in question.
Miles McBride’s long-term future with the New York Knicks is uncertain as contract extension talks have stalled, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein. McBride is entering the final year of his contract, with his agent expressing that while the player would like an extension, the team has not been receptive to negotiations.
"No doubt, he would love to get that," Bartelstein said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "But at the end of the day, you work for the Knicks and it takes two sides to get a deal done. And if the Knicks aren’t ready to do extensions right now, then we just gotta buckle up and go have a great season. He’ll be a free agent this summer, but we’ll see. We’ve got a great relationship with [president] Leon [Rose] and the front office. We’ll see: there may be opportunities during the season, maybe in the near future. Who knows where we’ll be able to have those conversations."
McBride is set to earn just under $4 million in the final year of his current deal. If he reaches free agency next summer, he is positioned for a significant salary increase. The Knicks' efforts to stay under the NBA's second apron, a rule implemented by owner James Dolan, make it challenging to retain all key players on large contracts while also allocating substantial funds to bench players. This financial constraint potentially positions McBride as a trade candidate before the free agency period, as he is a proven contributor on a team-friendly deal, which could yield a strong return in a trade.
Stefan Bondy, in his season preview, predicted that McBride would be traded. McBride himself has indicated that he believes he has earned an extension, despite the halt in negotiations. Bartelstein highlighted McBride’s contributions over the past few seasons, noting his role as a valuable sixth man. He also pointed out that McBride played through significant discomfort during last year's playoffs due to abdominal surgery, which required him to miss several months and return before being fully recovered, unwilling to miss an opportunity to support his teammates.
In other team news, the Knicks signed Dink Pate to an Exhibit 10 contract and subsequently waived him, a procedural move to secure his rights for their G-League team, the Westchester Knicks. Exhibit 10 contracts are typically training camp deals that expire at the start of the regular season. Pate, who played for the Westchester Knicks last year, had attempted to play college basketball at Providence this past season. However, the NCAA ruled him ineligible, dashing his college aspirations. The 20-year-old, 6-foot-8 guard averaged 16.0 points and 3.7 assists for the Westchester Knicks in the G League last season.
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers expressed a lack of interest in attending the Knicks' championship festivities prior to their season opener. In contrast, Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown described the prospect of opening night against the reigning champions as an "honor" and "serendipitous."