Knicks dealt injury blow to key guard right after Pels trade

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Knicks dealt injury blow to key guard right after Jose Alvarado trade with Pelicans

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Feb 5, 2026 2:03 PM ET

The New York Knicks got into the trade action, though it did not involve Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Knicks acquired point guard Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Dalen Terry, two second-round picks and cash, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Right after that trade was reported, Fred Katz of The Athletic posted that Miles McBride would undergo surgery for a core muscle injury and would be out possibly until the postseason.

McBride has spent his entire five-year NBA career with the Knicks, and he is having the best season so far.

As of Thursday, McBride has played in 35 games, averaging 12.9 points with 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds while playing just north of 28 minutes per contest.

BREAKING: Knicks guard Miles “Deuce” McBride will undergo surgery Friday on a core muscle injury, more commonly referred to as a sports hernia, and could be sidelined until the playoffs, league sources tell @JLEdwardsIII and myself.

Story coming soon.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) February 5, 2026

McBride had been dealing with left ankle soreness, and during an evaluation, it was revealed that he has a core muscle injury.

Per league sources:

During evaluation on his left ankle soreness, evaluations uncovered Miles McBride had a core muscle injury and he'll be out with no timeline for return.

According to @FredKatz and @JLEdwardsIII, McBride will undergo surgery and may be out until playoffs.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) February 5, 2026

The silver lining for the timing of McBride’s injury is that the Knicks were able to land Alvarado, who was born in New York. Alvarado is averaging 7.9 points with 3.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game, and the Knicks will be only the second NBA team he has played for in his career.

The Knicks are 33-18 entering Thursday, which has them as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. So, while McBride is out, it could mean more minutes for Alvarado until McBride is able to return to the floor.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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