The New York Knicks owner James Dolan was fairly straightforward during the off-season that the team won’t cross the second apron. Because of which Mitchell Robinson left, and several other stars, including Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, are facing uncertain contract extension issues. But the future for Miles McBride appears to be more bleak.

“Adding another big man is a priority for the Knicks,” Brett Siegel reported. “Leading many to assume that one of these three centers will make the Opening Night roster on some sort of partially guaranteed deal. The Knicks have also been aggressive looking for minor deals on the trade block utilizing the contracts of Pacome Dadiet and Miles McBride in hopes of adding an impactful center to their bench unit.”

McBride is entering the final season of his three-year, $13 million extension after putting together the best regular season of his career. He averaged 12.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 41 games while shooting 41.3% from three, giving New York a dependable perimeter scorer and another ball-handler off the bench. He is scheduled to make roughly $4 million this season before reaching unrestricted free agency in 2027.

That production is part of what makes the situation complicated. McBride was not a passenger during the Knicks’ championship run. He appeared in all 19 playoff games, averaging roughly 18 minutes per night, and his biggest offensive explosion came in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia. McBride scored 25 points in 29 minutes, drilling seven of his nine three-point attempts as New York completed a sweep.

He was less prominent by the Finals, but he remained part of the rotation. McBride played 13 minutes in the championship-clinching Game 5 against San Antonio, finishing with one assist and a +3 plus-minus as the Knicks closed out their first championship in 53 years.

The Knicks have one roster spot left to fill. Their cap situation leaves little flexibility, though. They have only about $3.2 million before hitting the second apron. That makes McBride’s inexpensive expiring contract particularly useful in a trade: New York can potentially turn a player who may become difficult to retain financially into frontcourt help without taking on a major long-term salary.

McBride has time and again stated he would want to retire with the Knicks.

“Obviously I love being in New York,” McBride said after practice Wednesday. “I’d love to continue my career here, end my career here. Best fans, I feel like we’ve done, obviously, something great this past year and the years leading up to that and I want to continue with this team.”

The problem is that sentiment has to coexist with the business side of the roster. McBride is no longer the inexpensive developmental guard who signed his current extension in 2023. After a career-best season and a strong playoff run, he is approaching a market in which he can reasonably seek a significant raise. That creates the central tension in New York: McBride has become more valuable to the Knicks while simultaneously becoming harder for them to keep.

But the 26-year-old is not the only contract demanding attention.

The Knicks also have to account for Towns and Hart. Both players are seeking extensions, while Jalen Brunson’s future contract situation will eventually have to be considered as well. Every additional dollar committed to the core reduces the room New York has to give McBride the kind of raise he could command on the open market.

That is where the timing of McBride’s contract becomes especially important. Waiting until free agency risks losing him without receiving anything in return. Trading him before the deadline, meanwhile, would allow New York to convert an expiring contract into another piece while addressing a roster need.

The Knicks, therefore, have two paths: reach an extension agreement and keep McBride, or determine that the financial gap is too large and move him while his contract still has trade value.

Another Jalen Brunson extension could reshape the numbers. OG Anunoby’s future will also matter when the Knicks map out their longer-term payroll. Recent guard extensions provide some context for McBride’s potential market.

Andrew Nembhard agreed to a three-year, $58 million deal with Indiana, which comes out to roughly $19 million per season. Ayo Dosunmu’s five-year, $112 million contract with Minnesota averages about $22 million annually. Both are close to McBride in age and play a similar role.

Their contracts could therefore serve as useful reference points when the Knicks eventually negotiate McBride’s next deal. But reports have suggested Dolan’s previous move could foreshadow Deuce’s future in New York.

“Unless the two sides reach an agreement before the start of the season, it feels like we’re heading toward a departure just based on history,” The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III reported earlier this month. “Leon Rose and the Knicks’ front-office brass usually trade players who they’re far apart in extension talks with — except for Robinson, who we established has a unique skill set that was important to the title run.”

So trading him could open not only a roster spot but also free up some funds. And it seems the Knicks are already planning ahead to fill the roster spot with another big.

The Knicks have several players competing for the remaining roster space. James Wiseman, Bruce Brown, Ochai Agbaji, Tony Bradley, and Drew Eubanks are all on Exhibit 9 deals.

Wiseman joined New York on one of those contracts this offseason. The former No. 2 pick from the 2020 NBA Draft spent last season with the Indiana Pacers. He appeared in 4 games at 14.5 minutes per game and averaged 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds. The former Golden State Warriors star could find a space on the Knicks roster.

“Wiseman has impressed in camp, according to witnesses, and should be the favorite,” the report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post indicated.

The Knicks still have Drummond behind Towns, but adding another playable center would give them more insurance after Robinson’s departure. That positional need, combined with McBride’s contract situation, explains why his name has surfaced in trade discussions.

For now, however, there is no clean conclusion that McBride is already on his way out. The more accurate picture is narrower and more interesting. If the Knicks and McBride fail to reach an extension agreement before the season, the front office’s history, financial constraints and need for center help could push the championship-winning guard toward the trade market.