Pacers Linked to Potential Trade With Arch-Rival Knicks

The NBA offseason is almost upon us and the Indiana Pacers are going to be a team to keep an eye on.

After their first-round pick fell out of the top five and conveyed to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade, the Pacers are going to have to get creative in improving their roster. Kevin Pritchard has always found ways to make moves, but this offseason could get very interesting.

More than likely, Indiana will scour the trade market for improvement. While the Pacers could pursue a free agent option, they don't have a lot of financial flexibility.

While fans are hoping to see a splash move, it's much more likely that Indiana will try to upgrade around the edges. Perhaps a bench upgrade would make the most sense.

Keeping that in mind, one suggestion has been made for the Pacers that would involve them pulling off a trade with the arch-rival New York Knicks.

Sports Illustrated's Alex Golden has suggested that Knicks' guard Miles McBride could be a possible target for Indiana.

"His fit in the Pacers’ system would be seamless and would allow Indiana to play multiple lineup combinations," Golden wrote.

"The Knicks would likely prefer to keep him because of his affordable expiring contract worth just under $4 million, but given New York’s lack of future assets, he could potentially be obtainable for the right package."

Seeing the Pacers and Knicks work together in trade talks would be surprising. Over the last two years, the longtime rivalry has heated up once again.

Indiana has eliminated New York from the playoffs in each of the last two years. However, the Knicks were able to take advantage of the Pacers' down year and are set to face off against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

McBride would be a nice upgrade for Indiana's bench. During the 2025-26 NBA regular season, he played in 41 games and made 15 starts for New York. He averaged 12 points, 2.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game, while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from three-point range.

At just 25 years old, McBride could be a long-term addition for the Pacers. But, that would only be a possibility if the Knicks were willing to do business.

Expect to hear plenty of rumors about Indiana as the offseason gets underway. The Pacers want to be aggressive, but they will be a bit limited in what they can do.