Miles McBride is back — and the timing couldn’t be more important for the Knicks.
The Knicks upgraded McBride, who has been sidelined since Jan. 28 after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia, to questionable Sunday morning ahead of their matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Roughly an hour before tipoff at Paycom Center, head coach Mike Brown confirmed the versatile guard would be available to play.
With fewer than 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Knicks regain their sixth man with just enough time for McBride to reacclimate before the start of the playoffs. The runway is short, but it gives New York an opportunity to restore a key piece of its rotation before the games begin to carry postseason weight.
Prior to his injury, McBride was in the midst of the most productive stretch of his career. In his first season under Brown, he averaged 12.9 points per game while shooting 42.2% from three-point range, both career highs. He also led the Knicks in box score plus-minus, a reflection of his impact across both ends of the floor within Brown’s uptempo system.
McBride exited the rotation following the Knicks’ Jan. 27 win over the Sacramento Kings. In the days that followed, the Knicks adjusted, including a move to acquire Jose Alvarado to reinforce the backcourt.
The team continued to win without him. The Knicks entered Sunday’s matchup against the reigning champion Thunder with a 48-26 record, going 20-8 in the games McBride missed after posting a 28-18 record with him available earlier in the season.
Still, McBride’s return gives the Knicks an element that has been absent during that stretch.
He is the team’s most reliable point-of-attack defender outside of OG Anunoby, capable of applying pressure on opposing ball handlers and disrupting offensive flow at the perimeter. That ability becomes increasingly valuable in a playoff setting, where individual matchups are often targeted and exploited over the course of a series.
Offensively, McBride has also developed into a consistent perimeter shooter. His efficiency from three-point range this season, combined with his willingness to take open looks, adds spacing around Jalen Brunson and the Knicks’ primary creators.
His return also presents lineup decisions for Brown, who said recently he had not yet determined how the rotation would look once McBride was back. Whether that reflects flexibility or uncertainty, McBride’s role figures to be significant given the balance he provides on both ends.
With just seven games remaining after Sunday’s contest, there is limited time for the Knicks to reestablish their rotations. The final stretch of the regular season will serve as a brief window to reintegrate McBride before the postseason begins.
McBride participated in practice on Saturday, while Landry Shamet remained sidelined as he continues to recover from a right knee contusion that has kept him out since March 20.
McBride signed a three-year, $13 million extension shortly after the Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley as part of the OG Anunoby deal in December 2023. He has one year remaining on his contract and will be eligible for an extension this summer.
For now, the focus is on his return and what it means for a team entering the final stretch of the season with postseason expectations.