The New York Knicks were one of the big winners of the NBA trade deadline this year when they made multiple transactions that resulted in Jose Alvarado being acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans.
His addition was already viewed in a positive light, but became all the more important when deadline day was marred by some unfortunate news. It was revealed, shortly after Alvarado was acquired, that Miles McBride was dealing with a core muscle injury.
He had been sidelined with what the team was calling ankle injury management, as he suffered a high-ankle sprain earlier in the season. However, when being evaluated for that, another ailment was discovered.
And now, word has been shared that McBride did, in fact, undergo surgery to fix a sports hernia. There was no official announcement shared by the team, but Stefan Bondy of the New York Post shared on X that he went under the knife on Feb. 6.
When will Miles McBride return to Knicks from injury?
Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) reacts during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The source that shared the news about the surgery also confirmed a report originally shared by Ian Begley of SNY that he has a timeline of 6-8 weeks until he is ready to return to the court.
This is a major blow to New York’s rotation, softened by the addition of Alvarado to the mix. A feisty defender, the Brooklyn native can help replace some of the tenacity that McBride brought to that end of the court.
Where he will be tested is offensively. Can Alvarado get close to replicating the 3-point prowess that McBride has shown this season? The former Pelicans point guard certainly provides the Knicks with a different look as a more established ball-handler and playmaker than McBride; will that be enough to make up for whatever difference in 3-point shooting that may exist?
Only time will tell in that regard, but Alvarado has quickly endeared himself to the New York faithful, helping the team beat the Boston Celtics in historic fashion in his debut. He scored 12 points with two rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 25 minutes of action, knocking down two of six 3-point attempts.
Timeline for Miles McBride to return post surgery is 6-8 weeks, per league sources
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 6, 2026
Of course, replacing McBride will be easier said than done. He is in the midst of the best 3-point shooting season of his career, knocking down 42% of his 6.9 attempts per game. His 102 makes are only 13 behind his previous career-high, which was set last year in 64 games played.
For the offensive punch that will be missing, Mike Brown is turning to Jordan Clarkson again for some minutes off the bench. It will be interesting to see how long that lasts for since the veteran was removed from the rotation at the start of this turn around a few weeks ago.
April 3 would be the eight-week mark since his surgery. Including that night’s game against the Chicago Bulls, the Knicks would have five regular-season games remaining.
In an ideal world, McBride would be able to return to action for a few games down the stretch instead of being thrown back into the mix during a first-round playoff series in mid-late April.