The Hidden Winner of Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Trade

Miles McBride is still standing at the New York Knicks’ altar.

While final details around the Knicks’ jaw-dropping trade for Karl-Anthony Towns (first reported by Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski) are still being ironed out, Minnesota’s haul does not appear to include McBride, the fourth-year man set to move up a peg on the list of New York longevity now that Julius Randle is on his way to Minneapolis.

McBride’s inclusion in nearly every mock trade of the professional and amateur variety makes his disappearance from the Towns affair quite shocking. The second-round pick from 2021 stands as one of the most covetable assets left on the Knicks’ roster.

Well-regarded for his defense, McBride enjoyed an offensive breakout that took over the bench point that moved to Toronto with Immanuel Quickley. Several offseason arrivals of both the rookie (Tyler Kolek) and veteran (Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet) variety only heightened the trade hype around McBride.

It appears, however, that his multi-pronged talents are set to stay in Manhattan, at least for the time being. The reported departures of both Randle and Donte DiVincenzo give McBride a special role in the Knicks’ immediate future.

The familiarity with head coach Tom Thibodeau’s systems (not to mention his heightened role in such a cause) will be big as they try to get off to a good start worthy of keeping pace with the defending champion Boston Celtics. McBride is now also set to take the lead in replacing DiVincenzo, who was reportedly displeased with the idea of returning to the bench after a career-best season among the starting five.

This makes McBride, should he stay (no one seems to be ruling out further transactions for the Knicks), one of the most important assets New York can carry in a fateful year, especially with the backcourt depth somewhat reeling with DiVincenzo and Randle gone. The Knicks made their way toward the top with backcourt mastery and affordable depth stars rising to the occasion.

Trading for Towns may mess with recent tradition, but keeping a name like McBride on could certainly sustain it in a healthy matter.

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