The New York Knicks have a very deep roster, one in which six different guys can have a huge game on any given night. However, there are still missing pieces to the puzzle, especially with Mitchell Robinson still having not played a game this season as he recovers from ankle surgery.
The Knicks should not trade Miles McBride
The team needs depth in the frontcourt, particularly a wing or a big man who is durable and can help the team right away. But they shouldn’t make a move at the cost of their most important bench piece, Miles McBride.
Joshua Buckhalter of Soaring Down South feels differently about McBride, and believes that moving him for Hawks’ center Clint Capela would benefit the Knicks.
“The New York Knicks were one of the teams that inquired about trading for Capela,” Buckhakter wrote. “It makes sense to revisit those talks amid their continued interest in bolstering their frontcourt.”
McBride is too valuable off the bench to trade away
Contrary to Buckhalter’s remarks, it does not make much sense for the Knicks to move McBride for a player who does not move the needle. McBride will likely be in the running for the league’s Sixth Man of The Year Award, as he is averaging career-highs in points (10.3), assists (3.0), and rebounds (2.7) while also shooting 41.1% from three this season.
With the Karl-Anthony Towns trade depleting the bench by sending Donte DiVincenzo the other way, McBride has become the team’s main bench facilitator. Additionally, head coach Tom Thibodeau has been running mostly an eight-man rotation in Robinson’s absence, meaning that losing him would significantly hamper the bench’s ability to score.
From a financial standpoint, keeping McBride makes too much sense, as he is making just North of $4.7 million this season. A player of his caliber would typically be making more money, likely at least eight figures per season at that, so the Knicks have themselves a budget beast off the bench.
Capela is a solid player in his own regard, averaging 9.7 points and 9.1 rebounds with the Hawks this season, but his playstyle would not bode well in the second unit. He is not an imposing defensive player nor can he space the floor on offense, and a large part of the Knicks’ success comes from their shooting prowess.
The Knicks don’t need to trade McBride to improve the roster
The Knicks don’t need to send away an important piece to acquire Capela, as they already have Precious Achiuwa holding down the fort with Robinson out, a player who is equally as effective offensively as Capela and better defensively.
Furthermore, the Knicks shouldn’t trade McBride for anybody, for that matter. Their team is more than capable of winning a championship right now, and it is not worth breaking up the core before seeing how far they can get them. Rather, they should be adding pieces to the puzzle on cheaper deals as opposed to making lateral moves at best.
The Knicks are very likely to make some sort of move by the time the trade deadline approaches. However, any move they make should not involve McBride, as he provides too much for the second unit to just give away.