Miles McBride

Knicks Notes: Shamet, Robinson, McBride, Towns, Lineups

December 31st, 2025 at 6:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks received some minor good news heading into the new year. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter), reserve guard/wing Landry Shamet has started doing some on-court work as he works his way back from the right shoulder sprain that has sidelined him since November 22.

Shamet has yet to start contact training, but says his rehab process has gone well so far, Edwards adds. The 28-year-old had the option of rehab or surgery and chose the former.

Newsday’s Steve Popper confirms the update (Twitter link), adding that Shamet said dealing with a shoulder injury and rehab last season helped prepare him for this one.

Shamet was playing some of the best basketball of his career at the start of this season. He averaged 9.3 points per game, tied for his career high, while shooting 42.4% on three-pointers in 20.9 minutes per night, the most he has played since the 2020/21 season. He had become a valuable part of coach Mike Brown‘s rotation before the injury derailed his season.

We have more from the Knicks:

Mitchell Robinson will miss two games in the next four days as he continues to deal with injury load management, but he has experienced no setbacks, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Bondy writes that, in addition to missing Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, the plan is for Robinson to play in one of the back-to-back games the Knicks will play on Friday and Saturday. Brown was quick to shut down any notion that Robinson re-injured the ankle that has given him issues in the past. “It’s all load management,” Brown said. “If you look at our schedule [it’s been hectic], I was complaining about it maybe a little too much. We’re just trying to be smart with it.” Ariel Hukporti, who saw increased minutes in the Knicks’ last game with Robinson out, is questionable to play on Wednesday due to a mouth laceration, which could open up time for Trey Jemison.
Miles McBride was a rookie when Ray Allen came to Madison Square Garden to witness Stephen Curry break his all-time three-point record. During that game, Allen gave the young guard some advice that changed his entire shooting style, Bondy writes. “‘Get more elevation,”‘ Allen told him, according to McBride. “He said, ‘In the 15 minutes pregame, I work out hard. You can’t flip it on and off.’ Those type of things stick with me.” McBride added that he had always elevated on his mid-range shots, so doing the same thing from three made sense and eliminated the fear of getting the shot blocked. After struggling with his shot during his first two seasons, McBride has made 39.7% of more than 700 three-point attempts over the past three seasons.
Brown believes that there’s “no question” that Karl-Anthony Towns is an All-Star this season, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “KAT’s averaging a double-double. He’s over 20 points a game and over 10 rebounds a game,” Brown said. “And if you’re a top-three team in either conference and you’re the second-leading scorer — [and] the leading rebounder — you’re an All-Star. There’s no question about it. The only question is: Is he first, second, or third team All-NBA, you know?” Towns has dealt with an uncharacteristically cold shooting spell this season (his .476 FG% is a career low), but has managed to impact the team in many ways while undergoing a dramatic role change in Brown’s offensive system.
Brown’s lineup experimentation has proved incredibly effective, especially while the team deals with injuries, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Young, unproven players like Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Mohamed Diawara have all had monster games that helped seal wins of late, and the players credit Browns’ open-mindedness for keeping them in the headspace to succeed. “Knowing that you’re flowing, playing, now it gives you even more energy, because now you’re like, you feel like you contribute, whatever, knowing you might get called,” Mikal Bridges said. “So, it’s just a different energy for the bench and especially when we make runs and stuff, if there’s 10 guys that play, nine guys that play, everybody is so juiced up. … If (you) played three minutes, if (you) played four minutes just as that low man to help blitz — you did something.” The Knicks’ bench was considered a weakness coming into the season, but with internal growth from Kolek and Brown’s constant tinkering, the team has found ways to win on the margins, thanks, in part, to that depth.

Josh Hart To Miss At Least Three Games With Sprained Ankle

December 27th, 2025 at 7:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

After spraining his right ankle in Thursday’s game, Knicks guard Josh Hart didn’t travel with the team on a three-game road trip that began tonight in Atlanta, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Hart will also be unavailable Monday at New Orleans and Wednesday at San Antonio.

League sources tell Edwards that Hart is undergoing further testing on the ankle and his condition will be reevaluated when the team returns home.

Hart was injured in the fourth quarter of the Christmas Day contest against Cleveland when his foot twisted in a collision with Dean Wade (Twitter video link). A foul was called on the play, and Hart made both free throws before limping to the locker room.

Edwards notes that the Knicks have gone 11-3 since coach Mike Brown inserted Hart into the starting lineup late last month. He’s shooting 38.9% from three-point range, his best percentage since his rookie season, and he’s collecting 8.0 boards per night, which makes him one of the league’s best rebounding non-centers. He’s also averaging 12.3 points and 5.1 assists in 30.3 minutes per game.

There’s positive injury news for New York as well, as Edwards hears that Miles McBride is expected back Monday after missing nine straight games with a sprained ankle. In addition, league sources tell Edwards that Landry Shamet has progressed to full on-court basketball activities and is working toward being cleared for contact. Shamet has missed the past month with a sprained right shoulder.

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Hart, Kolek, Clarkson, Bench

December 26th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Mitchell Robinson is something of an oddity for the Knicks: a center who can change the offense without scoring a point, writes James L. Edwards III for The Athletic.

Despite opposing teams knowing exactly what Robinson wants to do offensively, he has still found ways to win games for the Knicks in the regular season and playoffs by earning them extra possessions on the offensive glass. Edwards speculates that Robinson’s historic rebounding ability could make him the No. 3 priority on opponent scouting reports, behind only stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

All of that is why Edwards believes that, even with Robinson headed for unrestricted free agency in 2026, the team shouldn’t even consider moving him this season. His ability to give the team additional offensive chances, whether alongside Towns or once the All-NBA center heads to the bench, is too valuable to the Knicks’ championship aspirations this season.

We have more from the Knicks:

Josh Hart is out for Saturday’s matchup against the Hawks, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link). Hart left the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over the Cavaliers early in the fourth quarter after stepping on Dean Wade‘s foot and didn’t return. Miles McBride, who has missed the last seven games with an ankle sprain, is listed as questionable.
Tyler Kolek had another statement performance for the Knicks on Christmas Day, Bondy writes. Kolek finished the night with 16 points — 11 in the fourth quarter — and nine assists, as well as a critical block on Donovan Mitchell in transition with two minutes to go. “That is winning basketball, and he’s been unreal, so credit to him,” Mitchell said after the game, per Bondy. “I knew it wasn’t a foul as soon as they called it, so no shock there, but credit to him.” The team had previously discussed the need to target backup guards in trades, but the emergence of Kolek should give some pause, in Bondy’s opinion. Still, the team will want to see what the rotation looks like once McBride returns to his usual role.
Kolek and Robinson weren’t the only Knicks bench players to have a major impact. When the team was “stuck in the mud,” to use coach Mike Brown‘s terminology, Jordan Clarkson came in and got them unstuck, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. Clarkson had his best game of the season, scoring 25 points on 17 shots, while the Knicks outscored the Cavs by 13 in his time on the floor. “The times we were dead in the water, especially early in the game, he was the one guy that was keeping us in it,” Brown said. “First with his offense, he was really, really good for us offensively. And then defensively, he was good too.”
The Knicks’ depth has been an issue for the last several seasons, but Kolek, Clarkson, and Robinson have taken major strides to ensure that’s not the case this year, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “They change the game. When I was younger, I tried to change the game when I came in off the bench,” said Jalen Brunson. “Tyler’s doing that, Jordan’s been a vet, been around for a long time. He does that every time he’s on the court. And Mitch is being who he is. He just impacts basketball, and so he’s always gonna be impacting the game as well. It’s all about them coming in and changing the game, and that’s their mindset and what they come in and do every single time.” McBride has been a major part of the bench’s success throughout the season, as has Landry Shamet, who is currently out with a shoulder sprain.

Knicks Notes: Cup Bonuses, Brunson, McBride, Clarkson, Kolek

December 22nd, 2025 at 1:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Each Knicks player received a bonus exceeding $530K for capturing the NBA Cup. Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and some other players have decided to donate some of their winnings to support staff members, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes.

“I don’t think it was a hard decision,” Hart said. “Some of those people don’t get a bonus and they’re working to make sure we’re at the top of the game, no matter who they are. We want to make sure those people are also compensated for their extra time and their efforts.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Following a loss to Philadelphia, the Knicks got back on track by defeating the Heat on Sunday, 132-125. Brunson poured in a season-high 47 points. “He’s a special player. I think we know that,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “He doesn’t surprise you when he has nights like that.” Head coach Mike Brown continues to tout his point man as the league’s MVP, according to Bondy. “We were struggling a little bit offensively, you want to have an MVP of the league on your side. For him to score 47. … He’s capable of doing it and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do on nights like tonight,” Brown said.
Miles McBride is doing on-court work with Knicks coaches as he rehabs from his ankle sprain, Ian Begley of SNY tweets. McBride can take full contact but hasn’t practiced since the injury due to the team’s rugged schedule. He hasn’t played since Dec. 7.
Jordan Clarkson is playing on a minimum-salary contract after he reached a buyout agreement with Utah in early July and then decided to join the Knicks after clearing waivers. He has been a steady presence in the rotation and is averaging 13 points over the last four games. “Immediate spark. Immediate offensive presence, playing really well defensively, as well,” Brunson said of Clarkson, per Madeline Kenney of the New York Post. “What [he’s been] able to do for us so far this season has been tremendous and that’s just who he is. For as long as I’ve known him, that’s the type of person and player he’s brought to his teams that he’s been on and so very happy he’s here.”
Brunson has turned into a mentor for backup point guard Tyler Kolek, according to Kenney. “It’s been special,” Kolek said. “He’s kind of taken me under his wing. I’ve been able to watch him work out. … Just trying to pick up little tendencies from him, anything I can.”

Knicks May Move Guerschon Yabusele By Trade Deadline

December 22nd, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are open to trading Guerschon Yabusele before the February 5 deadline, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

The 30-year-old big man was the team’s top free agency addition over the summer, but he hasn’t been effective in the first two months of the season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per night while shooting 39.4% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. His numbers across the board are down sharply from what he posted in Philadelphia last season as he returned to the NBA after five years in Europe.

Yabusele is making $5.5MM this season and holds a $5.7MM player option for 2026/27, and multiple league executives tell Edwards that New York will likely have to give up other assets to get another team to take that contract.

The Knicks have been reaching out to rival teams in their search for another ball-handler and frontcourt player, Edwards hears from league sources. They don’t have a veteran lead guard in place who can play dependable minutes when Jalen Brunson rests. Edwards notes that Tyler Kolek has shown promise, especially during the past week, but there’s no guarantee he’s ready to fill that role.

New York is also looking for another big man, as the options on the current roster are limited behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. Robinson is having another outstanding rebounding season, pulling down 8.6 boards per game in 18.2 minutes per night, but Edwards states that he’s still on a load management program in hopes of keeping him healthy for the playoffs. Robinson has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and the Knicks aren’t in position to withstand a long-term absence.

The Knicks face financial limitations as they eye the trade market because of their proximity to the hard cap. They’ve been carrying 14 players on standard contracts all season and can’t fill their roster opening until early April.

With those restrictions in mind, Edwards identifies a few potential trade candidates:

Ayo Dosunmu — The Bulls guard would provide ball-handling and defense, but his $7.5MM salary means New York would have to send back Landry Shamet ($2.3MM), who was productive before injuring his shoulder, or possibly Pacome Dadiet ($2.9MM) or Kolek ($2.2MM) along with Yabusele or Miles McBride ($4.3MM). Edwards is skeptical about Chicago’s willingness to take Yabusele’s contract, so McBride would likely have to be part of the deal.
Jose Alvarado — Edwards suggests that the Pelicans guard may be more obtainable than Dosunmu, and his contract ($4.5MM with a $4.5MM player option for next season) would be easier to fit onto the roster. He also points out that the Knicks have multiple second-round picks that could be used to entice New Orleans to part with Alvarado.
Marvin Bagley III — His defense remains shaky, but he has been scoring and rebounding for the Wizards and his $2.2MM cap hit makes him an inexpensive option as a third center. Edwards believes he might be obtainable for a second-round pick.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Kolek, Robinson, Schedule, McBride

December 20th, 2025 at 9:42am CST by Dana Gauruder

OG Anunoby threw in a rare clunker in a nine-point Knicks loss to Philadelphia on Friday. Anunoby had just two points on 1-of-9 shooting and wasn’t much of a factor defensively, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes.

“I thought he was aggressive on his drives, he didn’t get any calls,” coach Mike Brown said. “It’s a weird game and the officials, they got a tough job but I don’t know if I’ll ever understand what’s a foul and what’s not a foul. Because guys, especially quick guys, they’ll put their head down and they’ll drive from point A to point B and if you lead with your chest, and they’re able to flop or fall off you good enough, it’s a foul. OG is a big, strong guy. When he drives, he doesn’t do that, he’s trying to attack the rim. He’s getting rerouted on his drive, but he can’t seem to get a call. “

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Tyler Kolek had an off night on Friday after some strong performances, including a 16-point, 11-assist outing vs. Indiana on Thursday, Schwartz notes. The reserve guard finished with two points, two assists, four turnovers and five fouls in 15 minutes vs. Philadelphia.
Notoriously poor free throw shooter Mitchell Robinson only missed one of his eight attempts on Friday after changing his routine. “We’ve just been working on a lot of arc on the free throws,” he said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “We went in there this morning actually like 10 AM but it paid off tonight. So I guess we’re gonna put that in the routine now.” Robinson also said he’s changed the mechanics of his shot. “It feels way more comfortable,” he said. “Getting my elbow under it. Getting it up in the air a little more. It’s been great.”
Friday’s loss snapped a seven-game winning streak but might have been predictable, according to Schwartz. Following their NBA Cup triumph this week, the Knicks had to play a back-to-back. They won at Indiana despite being shorthanded on Thursday. “These guys are human,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, we try to pride ourselves on being a no-excuse team. We’re gonna go out and play to the highest possible standard, or the highest possible level. Most times, we’ll probably have it, but tonight we didn’t.”
Miles McBride is doing on-court work but has yet to practice since spraining his ankle, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. The Knicks haven’t practiced or held a shootaround since Monday.

Knicks’ McBride Out At Least One More Week

December 11th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks will be without guard Miles McBride for at least another seven days, according to the team, which announced today that McBride will be reevaluated in one week (Twitter link via Andrew Crane of The New York Post).

McBride was injured in the third quarter of Sunday’s win over Orlando when he drove to the net for a layup attempt that was contested by Magic wing Desmond Bane. Both players fell to the court on the play, with Bane’s left foot appearing to come down on McBride’s lower left leg (Twitter video link).

McBride was later diagnosed with a sprained ankle and was ruled out of the team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday. The latest update confirms he’ll also miss a rematch with Orlando in Saturday’s semifinal, as well as the NBA Cup championship game on Tuesday, if the Knicks advance that far.

If New York loses on Saturday, the team will have four days off before facing the Pacers in Indiana next Thursday, buying McBride more recovery time.

McBride, 25, has been an important part of the Knicks’ rotation this fall, starting nine of his 20 outings and averaging career highs in points (11.6), rebounds (2.6), and minutes (27.0) per game, as well as three-point percentage (44.4%).

With McBride out, New York figures to lean more heavily on backcourt reserves Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek behind star point guard Jalen Brunson.

Knicks Notes: NBA Cup, McBride, Towns, Bridges, Anunoby

December 8th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Rory Maher

While Josh Hart says the pressure of the NBA Cup is “not even close” to competing in the playoffs, he and the rest of the Knicks are focused on winning their first in-season tournament title after being eliminated in the quarterfinals each of the past two years, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link).

“Every year, we fell short at this stage,” Hart said. “So we got to get over that hump.”

The Knicks open the knockout stage at Toronto on Tuesday. If they win, they’ll advance the semifinal and face the winner of Miami vs. Orlando in Las Vegas on Saturday.

“Life is short. And this is how I look at it — you want excitement in your life. So you try to put yourselves in position when you have pressure at times,” head coach Mike Brown said. “That’s something that, if you’re a competitor and you want some excitement in your life, you embrace it. And one of our standards is having a competitive spirit. So all of our guys. Especially as you go along and advance, you should embrace any type of pressure that comes along with it.

“And it also helps you prepare for times down the road when you’re put in the same situation. So in the regular season, this is about as close as you can get to simulating a playoff run. So we try to talk about it and add more pressure to it and handle it the right way and see if we can go get it.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Miles McBride, who sustained a left ankle injury in Sunday’s win over Orlando and underwent an MRI on Monday, has been diagnosed with a sprain and will miss Tuesday’s game, according to Bondy (Twitter links). The 25-year-old guard was spotted in a walking boot earlier in the day, Bondy adds. Karl-Anthony Towns, who was ruled out of Sunday’s contest due to left calf tightness, is questionable for the matchup against the Raptors.
Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are both worthy of legitimate consideration for their first All-Star appearances, contends James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. As Edwards explains, the Knicks are currently the No. 2 seed in the East, and if that continues, they’ll be deserving of having multiple All-Stars. Anunoby was arguably New York’s second-best player to open the season, but he missed nine games with a hamstring strain, leaving Bridges as the stronger candidate as of now. While neither player puts up gaudy offensive stats, they’ve both been highly efficient on that end on top of being top-notch defenders, Edwards writes. “He’s impacting winning,” Hart said of Bridges. “He plays both sides of the ball. Defensively, he’s been amazing. He’s been an All-Defense player for us.”
The Knicks improved to 13-1 at home with Sunday’s victory, notes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscription required), and that edge at Madison Square Garden could be an important factor in the playoffs for a team with championship aspirations. “We’ve done a great job of protecting our home court,” Hart said after contributing 17 points, 12 rebounds and two steals Sunday. “This should be the hardest place to play in the NBA, and we want teams to know that.”

Knicks’ Miles McBride Being Evaluated For Left Ankle Injury

December 7th, 2025 at 3:22pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks guard Miles McBride was injured in the third quarter of Sunday’s win over Orlando, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter links).

New York Basketball has a video of the play (Twitter link). McBride drove into the lane and was fouled by Desmond Bane on a left-handed layup attempt. Bane’s left foot appeared to land on McBride’s left ankle.

McBride was able to get up on his own and stayed in to shoot two free throws, according to Edwards, but quickly asked to be subbed out and had a noticeable limp.

The Knicks announced after the game that McBride was being evaluated for a left ankle injury, with another update to come on Monday, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter), McBride had an X-ray on his left ankle, which was negative. The 25-year-old will undergo an MRI tomorrow, Scotto adds.

The former second-round pick is off to a strong start to the season, averaging 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.2% from long distance through 19 appearances (27.3 minutes per game).

In other Knicks injury news, Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out of Sunday’s game with left calf tightness after initially being considered questionable (Twitter link via Barbara Barker of Newsday). Towns’ ailment — which appeared to be bothering him during Friday’s win over Utah, according to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post — doesn’t seem “too serious,” says Edwards (via Twitter).

Knicks Notes: Starting Five, Hart, NBA Cup, Point Guard

November 28th, 2025 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

During the first few weeks of the 2025/26 season, Mike Brown‘s preferred starting lineup for the Knicks featured Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson, with Landry Shamet stepping in when Anunoby went down with a hamstring strain.

With Shamet now sidelined due to an injury of his own, Anunoby still recovering, and Robinson no longer treated as an every-game starter, Brown said this week that he plans to stick for now with a smaller starting five that features Josh Hart and Miles McBride alongside Brunson, Towns, and Bridges, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks used that group in victories over Brooklyn on Monday and Charlotte on Wednesday.

“[I’ll] continue to stay with it to see what direction it goes,” Brown said. “Everything is fluid in this business. Anything can happen at any time.”

Brunson said there’s “obviously chemistry” among those five players, who were the Knicks’ most-used players besides Anunoby last season. Bondy, meanwhile, argues that it’s probably the team’s fastest and most offensively talented lineup until Anunoby is ready to return.

Still, the numbers don’t suggest it’s been the Knicks’ best lineup so far. In 35 minutes together, that Brunson-Towns-Bridges-Hart-McBride group has a net rating of -10.3.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

After averaging 23.7 minutes in his first 10 outings this season, Hart has logged 33.2 MPG in his past six appearances — more importantly, he’s seeing more action in fourth quarters. Brown acknowledged on Wednesday that keeping Hart on the bench for a couple fourth quarters earlier in the month was a mistake, Bondy writes. “I’ll be the first to say that wasn’t the right thing to do because he does so many great things for us and our group and our coaching staff,” Brown said. “And obviously as time has gone on, we’ve gotten a better feel for how we’re going to play him and he’s got a better feel, too. But back then he obviously could’ve b—hed or complained or threw a fit. He didn’t. And he continued to believe in the process, even though what I was doing was wrong at the time.”
Hart was robbed of $185K in watches and jewelry in September, according to a report from Amanda Woods, Estrella McDaniel, and Matt Troutman of The New York Post. The theft occurred at a New York City hotel on September 5 when Hart, who was in town for a podcast event, was out of his room.
With a win over Milwaukee on Friday, the Knicks will clinch the top spot in their NBA Cup group and become the only team to advance to the knockout round in three straight years. The team is taking that opportunity seriously, according to Brown. “Yes, we talk about [the NBA Cup],” the Knicks’ head coach said, per Bondy. “I think in life, pressure is a privilege, so you try to manufacture it from time to time. I think if you’re in a situation where there is pressure, you’re doing pretty good because obviously if you’re competitive you’re going to put pressure on yourself no matter what. So trying to feel it from the outside a little bit as much as you can is a privilege and it gets you ready for the postseason, in my opinion, so I bring it up to our guys.”
Hart suggested that the NBA Cup champion should be awarded a half-win to give that team the tiebreaker advantage in the regular season standings at season’s end, according to Bondy. As it stands, the NBA Cup championship game doesn’t count at all toward the regular season, so the only incentive is the prize money at stake. “For me, that’ll be watch money,” Hart joked.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv (YouTube link) fields a handful of Knicks-related questions in his latest video mailbag, including a couple about the team’s likely priorities at the trade deadline — Begley believes a reliable backup point guard will be at the top of New York’s wish list.

Load More Posts