The New York Knicks are learning quickly that keeping a championship-winning roster together can be costly. Once Mitchell Robinson left for the Boston Celtics, the door opened for the team's front office to keep the rest of their rotational free agents. Miles "Deuce" McBride became the longest-tenured player on the team throughout the process.
The soon-to-be-26-year-old guard is entering the final year of his second NBA contract, which complements the Knicks' offseason refusal to surpass the salary cap's second apron like oil does water. Unless the front office was waiting until the 2027 offseason to put that sacrifice onto governorship as a way of keeping everyone besides Robinson, it seems unlikely McBride is long for New York City.
The team is stuck, to some extent, with McBride projecting as crucial to their title defense but decreasing in trade value with each passing day. In the case that they can't keep the other homegrown member of their title-winning rotation around, though, incoming sophomore Mohamed Diawara might be able to replace him — despite the vast differences in their frames.
McBride's wing skillset makes Diawara an ironically viable replacement
Diawara and McBride certainly have their physical differences. The 6-foot-9, 225 lb wing spent his rookie season towering over his 6-foot-2, 195 lb teammate.
McBride has certainly proven over the years that he's not lacking in strength, though, despite being a "small guard." He can guard several positions, in part due to his nearly 6-foot-9 wingspan, and won't let even bigger players body him around. But he hasn't developed the kind of handle or ability to finish at the rim to be more than a catch-and-shoot threat offensively.
As a result, his role offensively compares more similarly to those of OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges than someone like Jalen Brunson. Even though McBride is definitely a guard, his skillset is more akin to that of a modern NBA wing.
Especially at just 21 years old, Diawara has yet to develop the kind of strength that would let him reap all of the benefits of his gangly frame. But the lack of physical creation, coupled with his ball handling and playmaking chops, leaves him impacting games pretty similarly to McBride.
Both players have flashed the ability to create in a pinch, mostly via late shot clock heaves. However, the majority of their offensive utility comes from their play-finishing within Mike Brown's system — primarily their 3-point shooting.
Diawara's volume was low from behind the arc, but he cashed in on just about 37% of his 1.9 attempts per game. McBride's the much more proven shooter, but he's had the time and G-League reps to build his percentages up.
Given that it was in relatively little playing time, the young Frenchman certainly showed marksman-level potential. Shooting coach (and NBA Champion) Peter Patton will play a role in the Knicks' endeavor to turn him into a sharpshooter.
If the Knicks' impressive sophomore fills out his frame, and continues to develop on both ends of the court, he could very well fill McBride's exact role with the team. Diawara's height, and 7-foot-4 wingspan, could even make him a better option to guard bigger wings like himself.
After all, Alvarado will be around to take care of those peskier guards.
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