JUNE 30, 10:04am: The Heat have now put out word that they never had a meeting scheduled with Brunson and won’t be meeting with him today, according to local reporters Ira Winderman, Tim Reynolds, and Anthony Chiang.
JUNE 29, 7:47pm: Point guard Jalen Brunson is scheduled to meet with the Knicks, Mavericks and Heat when free agency opens on Thursday, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
According to Haynes, the meetings will be held in New York, with the Knicks considered the strong frontrunners to land the unrestricted free agent on a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $110MM.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, GM Nico Harrison, and head coach Jason Kidd will attend the meeting, per Haynes, as will VP of basketball operations Michael Finley and “maybe one or two” players, sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Mavs are very pessimistic that they can convince Brunson to re-sign, but the 25-year-old’s camp sought out meetings with the three teams before coming to a decision.
A league source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News that the Mavericks have been unwilling to offer more than $106MM to this point, with Brunson reportedly seeking $125MM. Haynes confirms Bondy’s report, stating that Dallas has pitched a five-year, $106MM deal to Brunson, so it sounds like he might be open take a slight per-year discount ($125MM over five years vs. $110MM over four) if the Mavs are willing to go that high using his Bird Rights.
As Haynes observes, Miami’s only pathway to acquiring Brunson would be via sign-and-trade, because the team won’t have the necessary cap space to sign him outright. Such an agreement would be difficult to pull off due to sign-and-trades triggering a hard cap at the tax apron, which would limit Miami’s financial flexibility for the rest of 2022/23. That’s one reason why Haynes refers to the Heat as a “dark horse.”
Here are a couple more notes on Brunson’s free agency:
- “At least one high-ranking member of the Knicks” views Brunson as a top-10 point guard in the NBA, Bondy reports. Given the huge offer the Knicks are reportedly willing to extend, it makes sense that Brunson has fans in high places within the organization.
- In an appearance on “NBA Today,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks (video link) details why a sign-and-trade between the Mavericks and Knicks might make sense for both teams, assuming Brunson winds up with New York.
Mavs are likely to offer 5 year $125 million and incentive
Is Brunson a better player than Jordan Poole current season?
2021-22 One season only
If he resigns with Mavs, Knicks would target Irving
Knicks can save tax for Nets
Lakers are not happy with Irving now
Poole has all pro upside Brunson does not
@phyllis
Can you state a local reason you’re basing that on?
logical..
Poole is a liability on the defensive end.
Don’t know why anyone would bother replying to Sullivan.
He’s the Ryan Hollins of hoopsrumor. The guy makes ridiculous comments all the time.
Lakers are not happy with Irving?!?! How is anything they feel relevant?
They have not offered 5/$125MM. Read the article.
Knicks are not targeting Irving. Please stop with this nonsense.
The Knicks are not targeting Irving. If that happens, I’m grabbing a match, lighter fluid, all my Knicks gear and walking out to the driveway. At least the kids will be happy because they can make S’mores. But those S’mores would taste like losing, so the kids wouldn’t even be happy. That better not happen!
Kids deserve better.
That they do
Surprised to hear of the Heat’s interest. Wonder if the plan is to have him replace Lowry or to have him start next to him if we were to get him.
Would have to think a S&T would be something like Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Yurtseven and a few picks headed to Dallas.
My idea to reduce Mavs luxury tax going forward
Heat get Brunson and Powell
Pacers get Lowry, Heat future First and Mavs future First
Mavs get Herro, Turner, Martin
That’s a clown statement
@sullivan
Why would the pacers want lowery long term money and they just extended brogdan.
Heat came out of no where? FL NO state tax as TX—- less pressure in Miami vs NY… could see Dallas sign & trade with Miami, but Dallas would have TH JR, DAVIS BERTANS & Duncan Robinson— would have to include 3rd team to possibly work… WOULD BE FUNNY IF KNICKS GET SHUT OUT OF THIS WITH BRUNSON… VERY FUNNY…KNICKS SAT OUT DRAFT TO CREATE CAP SPACE… IF RILEY PULLS THIS OFF , WOW…
State tax is not an issue…players get taxed based upon the state in which games are played, not where the team is located.
Would you rather play more (home) games in New York or Florida?
I’m sure Dallas would be happy to accommodate a sign and trade with Miami if they could recoup some draft ammunition they’ve traded away, though I suspect Dallas and Miami are getting Brunson meetings just to avoid any tampering allegations (which has clearly already happened) and to possibly drive up the price on NY more. I’m not sure I get it from Miami’s standpoint, when they already have Lowry, Herro and Strus … unless they are trying to move off Lowry or think they wont be able to re-sign Herro next year. Duncan Robinson is a negative asset for an already financially strained Mavs team, so maybe he or Dwight Powell could be flipped to a third team like the Pacers who have cap space.
So I’ve been playing around on the NBA trade machine at fanspo, which factors in sign & trade factors. Apparently the rules are that when doing a s&t, the outgoing trade value in year 1 is 50% of the new contract salary year. All that to say … the only path I can see to a Miami & Dallas deal would be Kyle Lowry ($28.3MM 2 yrs) for Jalen Brunson ($24MM in yr 1, then can escalate in subsequent years 2, 3 & 4) and Dwight Powell ($11M on last year of deal). The contracts for Duncan Robinson and company are too small cumulatively to make a trade work.
The Knicks should of traded for Dejounte Murray. With what the Spurs got back for him, the Knicks could of easily matched that. Now they have to overpay for a slightly above average PG
I support your idea
Knicks would have $18 million more cap space after the deal
Total cap room $52 million
Knicks are delusional on Brunson
Knicks aren’t the only ones delusional.
Brunson they can at least just get via free agency. Given the number of draft picks they have coming up they can use those in trades for other players or to move around the board on draft day. Murray is the better bet, but the Knicks wouldn’t be serious contenders with him. They can have a very good point guard and keep building with those picks they would have had to trade for Murray.
Guy who almost averages a triple double along with two others that drop over 20ppg isn’t contending? Granted, they probably won’t get a ring, but serious contenders I can see them with Murray. And open cap room and I’m sure some other key pieces will flow in.
If Murray is so good, you have to ask yourself why the Spurs are trading him as quickly as they can
They tanking next year. Zach collins might wind up the oldest player on the team.
Murray was traded because he told the Spurs that he wouldn’t sign an extension because he could get more $ in FA. Extensions are mathematically locked in. I guess he thinks he can get a max in FA.
Exactly so imagine what he going to ask for in two seasons?? ATL will be cashed out if they sign him
@isolatedpower
A realistic chance at Victor Wembanyama is why
I promise the best thing for the Knicks, Mavs & prob Brunson is for Dallas to give him the $125 he wants. Then NYK can go ahead & give Tyus Jones a 3yr $50M deal to be a much better fit anyway
Dallas would be foolish to give Brunson 5/125. Dude is not worth the money for the Mavs. One good season and Hardaway might come back healthy and fill his place. Let the Knicks overpay this guy and lock up cap space to be mediocre.
Agreed. Any team would be foolish to give Brunson $125M.
FWIW, Brunson advanced stats rankings, 21-22:
PER 17.1 (58th, right behind Mike Conley)
BPM +0.9 (67th, right behind Dwight Powell)
TS% .583 (66th, right behind Harden)
AST% 24.3 (39th, right behind Immanuel Quickley)
WS/48 .143 (47th, right behind Lowry)
Given the fluidity of position of the league right now, I’m not a huge fan of “top X at position Y” for valuing a guy. Because you can pretty easily bump a guy up or knock him down by gerrymandering which guys play which position.
In terms of the league as a whole, just from an advanced stats POV, Brunson projects as probably somewhere between 45 & 55.
All that to say he’s not worth the money
Are you allergic to reading and analysis? Some people like to read statements backed up by facts.
There are no facts there. He played with a ball dominant player. Who owns the Mavs. Get his stats when Luka didn’t play with him.
If you need stats to judge a player. You should probably take up Yoga lol.
NBA is about comp and showing up. You do that first with talent. Then chemistry and growing in league. And growing with your TEAM. This is a TEAM game.
I must have missed the advanced stats revolution in the competitive yoga space, dam
Fantasy basketball monster in New York, hoping this happens so much, but would love to laugh in knicks fans faces if he goes back to Dallas, these Knicks podcasts talking about this as a done deal, you guys are gonna lose a 2nd round pick for sure
Laugh in Knicks fans faces as if Knicks fans have any say in what happens with the team. LOL what a loser
I don’t know if it’s my Knicks fan anxiety or what but this need for a meeting seems unnecessary. What’s the need to bring in a Dallas or Miami contingency if not to drive the price up for the Knicks or try and use the Knicks to get the other two to close the gap between their offer and the Knicks with the intentions of signing with one of them and NOT the Knicks? Cuban or Dallas brass saying they’re pessimistic about signing him signed like a smokescreen.
False statement, imo
Mavs are pessimistic about signing him
Its basically so the Knicks can plausibly deny any potential tampering allegations
What if the Knicks were to also trade for KD? Kyrie gets shipped to LA, KD gets wants out.
Knicks have 8 tradeable 1st round picks and salaries that can match.
Gotta be a joke.
Nets would never trade KD across town to the team that already gets more regional coverage, even with the far inferior product.
They might as well go back to Jersey after that move.
If this is a Sillivan burn, then my bad & carry on..
If Durant requests out then Brooklyn’s only concern should be getting as many picks as possible. Knicks make sense on that front.
They make sense on the market front.
Remains to be seen if they’ll make sense on the roster front.
Literally the only reason it makes sense are the picks. 8 1sts that they can trade is more than the PG13 trade and involves no swaps straight picks.
Those picks are heavily protected and not particularly valuable. Many teams like Toronto could and would crush any potential offer a team like Philly or New York could make for a player like KD.
Problem is that Durant needs to want to play in Toronto – he’s been more about his happiness than money for a while.
I just hope the Heat get rid of Lowry some how. I know we don’t have the cap space but maybe a sign and trade for Kyrie?
He was so good in Toronto, I’d bring him home if it didn’t cost any of our top 6.
The dude was your 2nd best player until he got hurt.
I hope they all have a seat and Cuban stsrts farting.
No se sabe si a Brunson le falten los mejores años como jugador o que le pueda afectar un cambio de equipo con otro sistema; a mi parecer no pinta para grande.
Tienes razón, Brunson es bueno pero no tan bueno, verdad que si?!?
A starting quality PG is the most in-demand player group in the league. People that think Brunson isn’t worth the money probably aren’t taking that into account. Older PGs like Conley, Paul, Lowry, Holiday, and Irving are all making over $30m a year. Unless Brunson gets injured, he’ll maintain his resale value for the duration of the contract even if his play/stats don’t improve, which is extremely unlikely, because he’ll have a much higher usage rate in NY. It’s a sound move from a financial and team-building perspective, I just wish they hadn’t had to give up all those draft assets to unload contracts they just gave out last offseason just to be in position to go after him. Knicks would be better, and far more entertaining to watch if they land Brunson, and the contract will in no way cripple them. Curious to see what they do with their remaining cap room. TJ Warren and Mo Bamba would be interesting additions that they could fit into their remaining cap room or MLE, and then they could still resign Robinson after they spend their cap space, if he’s willing to wait until then. Going to be a fun free agency period!
Ok, but they’re building a roster that is definitely not a competitive team (actual contention/deep playoff run is out of the question altogether) – and also ensuring they have 0.5 – 3% chance at Victor Wembanyama. While other teams will have 4.5 – 14% chance. No guarantees of outcome, but the odds are simple math.
Actual contention or shot at #1 overall; or guarantee of top-5 in the draft, should be the targets.
Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see the value in being a middling treadmill team. Gotta pull the trigger on positioning at either end of the spectrum, and the Knicks aren’t anywhere close to contention…which means they should be in talent acquisition mode.
So..trading #11 to position the team to get Brunson…to end up at 8-11 again, in the next draft, seems some combo of shortsighted and foolhardy.
I’m wondering how much lower it really is b/c of income taxes, with there being none in Texas compared to high rates in mew york…its the same thing I’ve wondered about PJ Tucker with philly and the Heat. If money is really the difference, and it turns out that it’s actually less than you would get if you stayed, is it just optics? Just to seem like you got paid more? For Brunson I hope he gets the most he can obviously, and I dont see a reason for Dallas to go that high
The smart thing would be to let Bruson get massively overpaid in NY but I think the Mavs are too sentimental to let that happen and they’ll make an aggressive effort for him to stay.
He’s definitely a top 30 PG who wants top 5 PG money.
Knicks will be attaching picks to dump this contact in a couple years.
People have to remember that guys like Duncan Robinson and Joe Harris are making around 20 million a year. 25 a year for Brunson is the market value for his talents.
They’re making closer to 16 million actually
Cope John Paul
Brunson a top 10 point guard??
In no particular order, off the top of my head: Luka, Steph, Ja Morant, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Kyrie, Jrue Holiday, Trae Young, Dejounte, SGA …that’s 10 right there, loll
Doesn’t even include the likes of Garland, Cade, Deaaron Fox, James Harden, Fred van Vleet, Tyrese Haliburton, Kyle Lowry, etc who are all comfortably better than Jalen Brunson. That’s 17 names right there. Maybe Jalen Brunson is a top 20-25 point guard, more realistically/at best??
Mavs’ third best
I completely agree with you. And I’m a villanova grad. Brunson is fairly around 15th among pgs. He could grow outside of Luka shadow but these contract numbers being thrown out there are wild. I agree with Michael Wilbon when he said Brunson is the third piece on a contender, not a 1 or co-1 like the Knicks would use him.
In light of the new report that the Heat never had a meeting lined up with Brunson … if I’m the Mavs, I am doing everything I can in these finals hours to try and line up a sign-and-trade with a different team than NY – a contender where he could facilitate the offense – and pitch Brunson on it. For instance, could they structure a deal with Brooklyn based on Brunson+filler for Kyrie? Think Brunson wouldn’t prefer to play with Durant and Curry over Julius Randle and Barrett? Or try and work something out with Chicago, like Brunson for Caruso+White+filler. Brunson wouldn’t prefer playing with LaVine and DeRozan over the mess that is the Knicks?
Why ???????
Really WHY would the Heat want Brunson. They just got Lowry. They gonna play TWO six foot guards…. In todays NBA.
Brunson is already shopping for an apartment in NY. I like him better than VanVleet . And I rather have Murray. But oh well….. Brunson still got a ceiling. Hope he hits in NY.
Can’t see a PG have real success. With Randle still here.
Lol. The Heat don’t want Brunson – just building leverage.
Don’t assume that the Knicks didn’t offer the same package. The Hawks & Spurs are connected thru Landry Fields. Spurs still harbor ill will towards the Knicks for the Mook Morris situation. Could have just been a matter of the Spurs have a relationship with the Hawks and didn’t wanna deal with or help the Knicks.
Ah yes. Marcus backed out of an agreement with Spurs to take a new Knicks offer when they could not attract Durant. Gd pt.