The New York Knicks enter next season as one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. After a very successful season that saw them reach the conference finals for the first time since 2000, the Knicks are ready to take another step.
Nonetheless, while most of the roster from last year will be returning, some are proposing potential trades that the Knicks could make.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a deal that would send reserve guard Miles McBride to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Keon Ellis, and a 2026 first-round pick.
“The Knicks are heavily invested in this core and fully believe it holds championship potential,” Buckley said. “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. The starters are cemented, Mitchell Robinson can’t stay healthy and there’d be nothing beyond blind faith drawing suitors toward Pacôme Dadiet or Tyler Kolek, who logged a combined 407 minutes last season.”
Ellis has some familiarity with the Knicks’ coaching staff
Buckley also mentioned the potential upgrades that come with acquiring Ellis, who played under Knicks head coach Mike Brown while in Sacramento.
“He doesn’t provide the same playmaking, but he’s more consistent from three and bigger and more versatile on defense,” Buckley said. “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.”
Both Ellis and McBride have risen up the ranks to become some of the league’s most effective reserve players. Last season, McBride averaged 9.5 points per game and shot 37 percent from three, while Ellis averaged 8.3 points per game, and shot 43 percent from beyond the arc. They each have their own wrinkles to their game, so if the Knicks were to ever consider this, they’d have to consider the fit of both players before pulling the trigger.
