Knicks Trade Pitch That Could Land Coveted Young Center After Miles McBride Decision

The New York Knicks have already been turned away in their pursuit of Yves Missi. Their next offer, if they decide to reopen talks with the New Orleans Pelicans, should be more aggressive without becoming reckless.

A sensible trade proposal would be:

Knicks receive: Yves Missi

Pelicans receive: Miles McBride and a top-four protected 2033 first-round pick

If the pick does not convey in 2033, it would convert into two second-round selections.

The proposal is hypothetical, not a reported offer. But it represents the kind of middle ground New York may need after its initial bids for Missi were rejected.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported in July that the Knicks had made multiple attempts to acquire Missi after Mitchell Robinson left in free agency. The Pelicans viewed Missi as a vital piece of their core and sent a clear message that he was not available.

That stance is understandable. Missi is 22, athletic, inexpensive and still developing. He averaged 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last season while offering the rim-running and defensive mobility that teams spend years trying to find.

But a protected first-round pick would give New Orleans a reason to listen.

Why McBride Could Become Expendable

GettyMiles McBride of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years.

New York’s decision not to extend McBride before the Aug. 11 deadline preserved its ability to trade him during the season.

McBride is entering the final year of his three-year, $13 million contract. He is set to earn roughly $3.96 million this season, while Missi is making about $3.51 million. The salaries work cleanly under the collective bargaining agreement because the Knicks, as a first-apron team, cannot take back more money in a trade than they send out.

McBride has become a valuable player. He averaged 12 points and shot 41.3% from 3-point range last season while growing into a reliable perimeter defender. But that success will make his next contract substantially more expensive.

The Knicks have already made long-term commitments to Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado. Shamet signed a four-year contract worth nearly $24 million this summer, and Alvarado returned on a three-year deal worth more than $14 million. Tyler Kolek is also extension-eligible and could offer New York a lower-cost long-term playmaking option.

That does not make McBride disposable. It makes him the most logical player to convert into help at a thinner position.

New Orleans would not be acquiring McBride because it lacks guards. The Pelicans already have Dejounte Murray, Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole and Jordan Hawkins in their backcourt. But McBride would give them flexibility. Poole’s roughly $34 million contract expires after this season, and New Orleans explored trade scenarios involving Hawkins this offseason. McBride could become a low-cost, two-way reserve while the Pelicans decide whether to trade Poole at the deadline or let his salary expire next summer.

Missi Could Extend Knicks’ Championship Window

GettyYves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans blocks the shot of Jaren Jackson Jr., formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies, during the second quarter of a 2025 Emirates NBA Cup game at Smoothie King Center on November 26, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The larger case for New York is not simply replacing Robinson. It is protecting its championship window.

The Knicks currently have Towns and Andre Drummond as their only established centers. Drummond remains an elite rebounder, but he is 33 and on a one-year contract. The alternative is entering another season with a veteran-minimum third center and an expensive surplus of guards.

Missi would change that equation.

He would not need to start immediately. Towns remains New York’s offensive focal point, while Drummond can still handle matchup-specific minutes. But Missi would supply youth, rim protection and vertical athleticism — the traits the Knicks could need most against Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Boston’s Mitchell Robinson, Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley and other physical playoff frontcourts.

The 2033 first is the Knicks’ most meaningful available trade asset. They owe Brooklyn first-round picks in 2027, 2029 and 2031 from the Mikal Bridges trade, which limits the type of near-term package they can build.

A top-four protected 2033 first paired with McBride is therefore New York’s right line. It is strong enough to test whether the Pelicans’ stance has softened, but it does not sacrifice an unprotected first or add unnecessary second-round picks.

If New Orleans says no again, the Knicks should move on. But if it wants a proven guard, future draft value and flexibility around Poole, this is the offer that gives the conversation its best chance to change.

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