The New York Knicks have added a couple of new pieces this offseason, signing both Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency. But with the Eastern Conference now being so wide open, they may want to go for the jugular.
The problem is that the Knicks do not have a whole lot of financial flexibility right now, so swinging impactful deals will prove difficult. However, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has concocted a trade idea that would benefit New York while also being realistic from a monetary standpoint.
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Buckley’s proposal has the Knicks sending guard Miles McBride and a 2026 first-round draft pick (top-8 protected, via the Washington Wizards) to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for fellow guard Keon Ellis.
“It’s possible they’d view McBride as being too meaningful to move, but there’s a bit of “If not him, then who?” factoring into this selection,” Buckley wrote. “So, McBride it is, but only if the Knicks feel like they’re getting an upgrade. Ellis probably fits the bill. He doesn’t provide the same playmaking, but he’s more consistent from three and bigger and more versatile on defense. It’d be easier to get him on the floor with Jalen Brunson, and it’s hard to think of a more helpful skill than supporting the club’s best player.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks high-fives Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter in Game Six…
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks high-fives Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 16, 2025 in New York City.
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Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
Ellis is preparing to enter his third NBA season and averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals over 24.4 minutes per game on 48.9/43.3/84.9 splits this past year. Those are definitely superior numbers to McBride from an efficiency standpoint, as McBride shot 40.6 percent from the floor and 36.9 percent from three-point range in 2024-25.
The question is whether or not the Knicks would be willing to include that Wizards draft pick in the deal. Chances are, the pick will fall inside the top eight, meaning it will not convey to New York next summer. But do the Knicks want to take that risk for what is really just a slight upgrade?
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McBride has made quite an impression in the Big Apple over his first four NBA seasons and is under contract through 2027 on a major discount. Meanwhile, Ellis is preparing to enter the final year of his deal.
It’s something the Knicks could consider, but it’s hard to imagine them actually pulling the trigger here.
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