Miles McBride future may depend on a line the Knicks refuse to cross

As the reigning NBA champions, by default, the New York Knicks will enter the upcoming campaign as the biggest favorites to win the championship. There are teams with more talent than them on paper, but one edge they have is their fresh Finals experience. Their bench is also a major advantage, and one guy who makes that possible is Miles McBride, who is due for a contract extension.

The 26-year-old guard is the longest tenure player on the Knicks roster and has made steady progress through the years as a three-and-D guard. However, that might not be enough for the front office to fully commit to a contract extension given the ownership's sheer refusal to go past the second apron.

Miles McBride is a player the Knicks can't afford to lose

Apparently, McBride's camp and the Knicks brass have been in contact about the guard's contract extension, but if New York remains adamant on their financial limits, that is nothing more than due diligence. Unless the Knicks can open up more financial legroom to accommodate a considerable extension for McBride, there is only one inevitable ending for him, which is being a trade chip before the deadline.

McBride is certainly a role player the Knicks cannot afford to lose. He fits both of their offensive and defensive schemes, and his gritty play as a bench catalyst has won New York a lot of games in recent years. Teams will definitely be lining up for his services should the team make him available for taking.

If anything, it is surely confounding that the Knicks are trying to put a governor on their spending right when they just won the title. Their current dilemma on Miles McBride is perhaps the biggest sign that their present approach is a flawed one, and unless they cross that self-imposed line, they are bound to incur a loss.