The New York Knicks were close to having a perfect Game 2 win over the Philadelphia 76ers until OG Anunoby got hurt. The wing came up hobbled after a cut and subsequent blocked dunk attempt. And asked to be subbed out of the game, which happened with about 2:30 left in the fourth quarter.
Fortunately, Knicks head coach Mike Brown knew exactly where to turn. Or rather, who to turn to.
The coach put Miles "Deuce" McBride into the game, and the guard was instrumental to the defensive stops that helped New York lock up the win. McBride is on one of the best deals in the league by pure value for his team, but he's entering a contract year in 2026-27. Wednesday night's win was a reminder that the Knicks need to extend him, because they definitely can't afford to lose him.
Knicks need McBride going forward. Can they afford him?
After drafting the guard out of West Virginia early in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Leon Rose's front office kept McBride up their sleeves for several seasons.
They eventually paved the way for the guard to assume a regular role in Tom Thibodeau's rotation when they effectively traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby, which created a need for a guard.
The Knicks were ready. They signed McBride to a reported three-year, $13 million contract extension right then. And once the guard started contributing to New York's winning efforts on a nightly basis, he never looked back.
Drafting a good player, and keeping them around, isn't a problem. Or rather, it isn't one yet. The Knicks learned well from the Isaiah Hartenstein situation that, sometimes, developing someone and offering them a significant raise simply isn't enough to have the most enticing proposition on the market.
New York is already slated to pay Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart over $120 million in the 2027-28 season. Karl-Anthony Towns has a player option for more than $60 million. And Josh Hart has a $22 million club option that season.
The Knicks' front office has proven more than able to fill the margins of the team's roster with a sufficient amount of talent to compete and withstand the trials and tribulations of an 82-game regular season. But with Mitchell Robinson entering unrestricted free agency this summer, will New York have enough money to keep their longest-tenured player around – and still extend McBride?
The focus right now is on what's happening on the court. But the Knicks' braintrust has a reputation for planning ahead. It would be hard to imagine they're not already several iterations deep into formulating exactly how they can keep their best players around with the second apron looming over their endeavors.
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