The New York Knicks are basking in the glow of their NBA Championship hangover after capturing the franchise’s first NBA title in 53 years. Parades, talk shows, even orange and blue trash cans on the streets of Manhattan. A never-ending rollercoaster of joy has surrounded Knicks fans throughout the summer of 2026.
Yet, a rollercoaster is an apt metaphor because the Knicks' championship celebration hasn’t inoculated the franchise from the harsh financial realities of the NBA’s salary cap dynamics. The Knicks are a mere $3.3 million away from the second apron threshold that has become anathema to NBA fans.
Knicks owner James Dolan, in no uncertain terms, within a week of his franchise winning the 2025-26 NBA championship, stated that the Knicks would not go into the second apron to maintain the roster that won the NBA title.
Words met action when a central figure of the Knicks’ title roster, center Mitchell Robinson, departed New York for the Boston Celtics via unrestricted free agency.
Given the ownership stance of the Knicks relative to the second apron, a wonderful opportunity exists for the Chicago Bulls to position themselves as a suitor for the Knicks’ second unit sharpshooter, guard Miles “Duece” McBride.
The 6’2” combo guard is extension eligible and enters the final season of his three-year $13 million fully guaranteed contract with the Knicks. It would be reasonable to assume that McBride may be interested in cashing in on a raise on the heels of contributing to one of the more historic NBA champion runs in the league.
However, if a homegrown player like Mitchell Robinson, who played his entire first eight years of his NBA career in a Knicks uniform, received the cap casualty treatment in the 2026 NBA offseason, then McBride should see the writing on the wall for his future with the Knicks.
Shooter gotta shoot
The Chicago Bulls are a shooting-starved roster, despite the feats of long-range bucket-making rookie forward Caleb Wilson displayed during Las Vegas Summer League.
Of the players the Bulls are returning from the 2025-26 NBA season, only guard Josh Giddey represents a Bulls player who averaged at least 5.0 three-point attempts per game and also shot 36% or better from the three-point line, according to Basketball Reference.
McBride delivered the highest three-point volume of his NBA career during the 2025-26 NBA regular season, averaging 6.6 three-point attempts per game while shooting 41.3% from the three-point line.
The Bulls having Norman Powell on the roster certainly is a useful roster addition as it relates to three-point shooting, and yet the Bulls shouldn’t be overly reliant on Powell to be the primary source of three-point volume.
Deuce McBride playing on a Bulls extension is a logical segue to a post-Powell Bulls roster. So Bryson Graham should be shooting his shot to get McBride on his roster ASAP.
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