Rick Brunson

Knicks Notes: R. Brunson, Sims, Payne, Kolek, Achiuwa

December 4th, 2024 at 9:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has closed its inquiry into the Knicks‘ decision to promote assistant coach Rick Brunson, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Brunson, the father of All-NBA New York point guard Jalen Brunson, was recently promoted to a lead assistant gig under head coach Tom Thibodeau. Rick Brunson earned his new role with the Knicks during the same offseason his son inked a four-year, $157MM contract extension to stay with the team long-term.

Jalen Brunson would have been eligible for a five-year maximum contract worth an estimated $269MM had he waited to reach free agency this summer, so the belief is that the NBA was poking around to make sure there was no cap circumvention involved in Rick’s promotion and raise.

The elder Brunson, a former league journeyman guard, has been a coach since 2007 and has served on staffs in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte and Minnesota. He has been working under Thibodeau in New York since 2022, the same summer Jalen joined the team as a free agent.

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Knicks reserve center Jericho Sims is becoming an underappreciated defender, thanks in large part to his athletic upside and abilities as a rim protector, contends Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Sims is limiting opposing players to connecting on just 33% of their buckets within six feet of the rack, Bondy notes. By contrast, All-Star starter Karl-Anthony Towns is allowing players he’s matched up against to make 73.2% of their takes from the same area. “He’s really worked hard at it,” Thibodeau said of Sims. “Very athletic. Great feet. And making the right decision at the right time. His athleticism is through the roof. He can react very quickly. And you need that. The rim protection is huge.”
Backup Knicks point guard Cameron Payne, a former lottery pick, is hoping to not have to head back overseas anytime soon, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. “The biggest experience was me getting waived and going overseas,” Payne said. “I was just like, ‘I will not ever go back overseas.’ I credit the little things like getting on the floor, the things people don’t do. I take that to the game every night. I don’t want to go back overseas. That’s my identity. I’m going to play my heart out and do whatever I have to do to help the team win.” Payne played for Chinese club Shanxi Loongs in 2019, but ultimately returned stateside to play in the G League. He reasserted himself as an NBA player during a productive stint with the Suns that began in 2020 and has been a journeyman backup ever since. Payne’s solid ball control and efficient three-point shooting have made him a staple in Thibodeau’s rotation.
Elsewhere in the same Edwards article, rookie Knicks guard Tyler Kolek discussed what it was like to prepare for the draft over the summer. “In the summertime, what I’m working on is whatever I think I need to get better at,” Kolek said. “I feel like every summer I’ve improved, going back to college and even high school. Even during this year, I’m still learning. I’m just trying to gain the trust of my teammates and trust of my coaches and pull as much as I can from.” The 6’1″ guard was selected with the No. 34 pick out of Marquette by the Trail Blazers, who traded his draft rights to the Knicks. Kolek has played sparingly this season, averaging 3.1 points per game on .417/.429/1.000 shooting splits in 14 outings.
Knicks reserve big man Precious Achiuwa, who has missed the entire season so far with a left hamstring strain, has seen his injury status upgraded to questionable for this time this year for Thursday’s game vs. Charlotte, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Achiuwa re-signed a one-year, $6MM with the Knicks this offseason.

Atlantic Notes: Nets Veterans, Wilson, Brunson, Embiid, Sixers, Barnes, More

November 21st, 2024 at 11:04pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Multiple Nets veterans have been the subjects of trade speculation since their arrival to the team. Cameron Johnson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ben Simmons, Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith are among the players who have been involved in trade rumors for some time, with fourth-year guard Cam Thomas joining them this week.

A few of those players are off to career-best starts for a team that’s been surprisingly competitive at 6-9. Johnson exploded for 34 points on Tuesday, as Net Income at NetsDaily writes.

“All three of us have been traded before. It’s not something that we’re worried about,” Johnson said in explaining why he, Finney-Smith and Schröder are playing well. “There’s a lot of speculation about a lot of things, all of our whole careers, my whole career, speculation about this, speculation about that. You hear a lot of outside noise. There’s no sense in letting it bother you. There’s no sense in letting it get to you. Let the future be the future. Control what you can control now.

“The other thing is, we enjoy our group, playing together. I think we are a group that gets along well with each other, and that’s important. So as long as we’re together, we’re gonna fight for wins, and we’re gonna enjoy representing Brooklyn. And whatever the future holds, it holds.”

Johnson’s been happy with how the organization has handled him during his time there, according to Net Income. While the plan is still to select a cornerstone in the upcoming draft and Johnson seems more likely than not be traded, he’s making an impact alongside the other vets.

“Honestly, he’s just been hooping,” teammate Trendon Watford. “I’m not surprised by it. Cam’s a great player, so I’m not surprised by it at all. Last year was last year. He obviously heard all the noise and took it with a grain of salt and came back. And now he’s doing what we know CJ can do.”

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With Thomas missing Tuesday’s game against the Hornets due to a minor injury, second-year forward Jalen Wilson stepped up, according to Andrew Crane of the New York Post. Wilson scored a team-high 17 points in the Nets win while making a career-high five three-pointers. The Nets hold a team option for next season on Wilson, who could see his role increase if some of Brooklyn’s veterans are moved ahead of the trade deadline.
Jalen Brunson didn’t want to specifically address the rumors that the NBA is looking into his father’s promotion to lead assistant on the Knicks‘ coaching staff. However, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, he had a message for anyone questioning Rick Brunson‘s coaching credentials. “He’s more than qualified for that position,” Jalen said. “He’s a person who has been around the NBA for a long time, who has been around [Tom Thibodeau] for longer than he’s been around the NBA. I think he understands the business, I think he understands the game, I think he understands the head coach. So he’s more than qualified. Look at the way he’s taught me and raised me and how I’ve seen him impact others in all different levels of basketball — high school, college, pros.“
Following a report Thursday morning indicated Joel Embiid wasn’t happy that a Sixers team-only meeting was leaked, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer writes on Marc Stein’s Substack that one source told him on Tuesday that Embiid would be “furious” about the leak and would try to find the culprit. Fischer adds that Tyrese Maxey getting involved and holding Embiid accountable is a silver lining to the situation. Tobias Harris used to serve as a veteran voice and leader for the Sixers, so it was crucial that someone else step up now that Harris is in Detroit.
Fischer also confirmed that Embiid has preferred to hold some level of control over what the Sixers‘ injury report lists him as and how it’s reported.
Raptors star Scottie Barnes played on Thursday for the first time in nearly a month. Following reporting that he would be on a minutes restriction, Barnes ended the night with 17 points in 27 minutes of action. The Raptors did not start a traditional point guard, opting for Barnes over Davion Mitchell, who moved to the bench. Mitchell being moved to the second unit meant Ochai Agbaji maintained his starting role, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg notes (Twitter link). Barnes hadn’t played since Oct. 28, missing 11 games during that time.
Ja’Kobe Walter, who missed the last six games for the Raptors, was available to play on Thursday, Sportsnet.ca’s Blake Murphy tweets. The 2024 19th overall pick also missed some time at the beginning of the season due to injury.

Knicks Rip NBA For Rumored Probe Into Rick Brunson’s Promotion

November 19th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

After a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggested that the NBA has been “poking around” on the Knicks‘ offseason promotion of Rick Brunson to lead assistant, the team quickly responded by referring to the rumored investigation as “harassment.”

Brunson joined the Knicks as an assistant in 2022, the same year his son Jalen Brunson signed with the team as a free agent. As Begley details, Rick received a promotion this offseason around the time Jalen signed a below-market long-term contract extension with New York, prompting the NBA to look into whether the move circumvented salary cap rules.

“In response to the rumored NBA investigation into Rick Brunson’s promotion, Brunson took (former associate head coach) Johnnie Bryant’s place and assumed the same salary as Bryant,” MSG Sports, the Knicks’ parent company, said in a statement. “It’s offensive that anyone would claim Rick didn’t deserve the promotion. Rick has done a tremendous job and will continue to do so. We see this as more harassment of the Knicks due to our opposition to certain NBA matters.”

Jalen’s four-year extension this offseason was worth just shy of $157MM, which was the maximum he could receive at the time. If he had waited until the summer of 2025, he could’ve signed a five-year deal worth up to a projected $269MM.

If the Knicks had, in concert with Jalen’s extension, “rewarded” the Brunson family by promoting Rick and giving him a significant raise beyond what his performance or title would typically warrant, it could be considered salary cap circumvention. However, Begley hears from coaching sources that Rick’s new contract is “within industry standards” for top assistants.

It’s also not as if the elder Brunson is unqualified for his new role. He has been coaching since 2007 and spent time as an NBA assistant in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minnesota before arriving in New York. He also had a stint as an assistant at the University of Hartford and was the head coach at Camden High School in New Jersey.

While the league would likely perform the same sort of due diligence if any other team were in a similar situation, the Knicks contend in their statement that the rumored probe is retribution for the team’s objections to “certain NBA matters.”

The Knicks, led by team owner James Dolan, criticized the league’s new media rights deal and revenue sharing policies in a letter sent to the other 29 teams and the league office earlier this year. The team also accused Adam Silver of bias while arguing that the NBA commissioner shouldn’t preside over a dispute between the Knicks and Raptors.

Additionally, Dolan stepped down from his positions on the NBA’s influential advisory/finance and media committees last year, with reporting at the time indicating that the Knicks owner had been “increasingly critical” of Silver and the NBA on a number of issues. Dolan has been the lone dissenting vote in various Board of Governors decisions that would have otherwise been unanimous.

Timberwolves Notes: DiVincenzo, Towns, Randle

October 14th, 2024 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo had a brief verbal altercation with Knicks assistant Rick Brunson in his return to New York on Sunday, as Chris Herring of ESPN and James L. Edwards III and Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic write. DiVincenzo and Brunson exchanged words after the game when players and coaches were shaking hands before exiting the court, but the former Knick downplayed the incident when speaking to reporters later.

“Just some words. I don’t fully know what was said. A lot of people there,” DiVincenzo said, per The Athletic. “But I really have no comment on the situation. We’re both grown men and can talk about it privately.”

“Two people talking,” Rick’s son Jalen Brunson said. “Words of affirmation.”

DiVincenzo was caught on camera in the first quarter talking to the Knicks’ bench before he attempted a free throw (Twitter video link). He explained to reporters after the game that he was sharing an inside joke with Thibodeau, though league sources tell The Athletic that some of his comments were directed to the elder Brunson. At one point, DiVincenzo appeared to say, “That’s what happens when they let you run the show.”

Here’s more on the Wolves:

DiVincenzo has “quickly become a favorite within the Timberwolves organization,” tweets Krawczynski, adding that the team loves both his skill set and mentality. Anthony Edwards expressed that sentiment during his post-game media session on Sunday, per Herring. “He makes all the right plays and shoots the cover off the ball,” Edwards said of his new teammate. “New York is definitely going to miss him.”
In a feature story for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III takes a look at DiVincenzo’s journey from a scout team decoy at Villanova to a Final Four star to one of the NBA’s most coveted role players.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said there were “a lot of emotions” on Sunday reuniting with former Timberwolves teammates who were like “brothers” during his tenure in Minnesota, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (subscription required). Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch had nothing but praise for his former star big man, acknowledging that it would take a while to get used to seeing Towns in a different uniform. “It’s like a death in the family in some ways,” Finch said. “You got to make it through that first year, and everything is going to be a little odd.”
In his Sunday return to New York, new Timberwolves forward Julius Randle wasn’t looking to dwell on or reminisce about his Knicks tenure, telling reporters that he has “unfinished business” to focus on in Minnesota, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays. Randle also expressed enthusiasm about Finch giving him more play-making responsibilities this season. “I’m excited to be able to show that,” the veteran forward said. “Not just from the post, getting double-teamed. Finch is moving me all over the floor, allowing me to be able show that stuff. I’m excited about that.”

Eastern Notes: McConnell, Nets, Cuban, Brunson, Cavs

September 1st, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

T.J. McConnell‘s agreed-upon four-year, $45MM extension, which doesn’t kick in until the 2025/26, could impact the Pacers’ upcoming decisions regarding Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

The McConnell and Andrew Nembhard (three-year, $58.6MM) extensions will put the Pacers closer to the luxury tax threshold and the prohibitive tax aprons going forward. Turner would become an unrestricted free agent without an extension before July 2025, while Mathurin will be eligible for a rookie scale extension at that time.

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The Nets could dictate next summer’s free agency and trade markets, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. They could open up as much as $70MM in cap space, plus they could control as many as four first-round picks in a loaded draft. The Nets also have the league’s second-biggest trade exception at $23.3MM.
Mavericks former majority owner Mark Cuban apologized to Jalen Brunson for a perceived jab at the Knicks guard over Brunson’s 2022 free agency, Peter Botte of the New York Post relays. The exchange between Cuban and Brunson occurred during The Roommates podcast (video link). Cuban said in April 2023 that negotiations to retain Brunson “went south, when (father Rick Brunson) took over, or the parents took over.” Brunson signed with the Knicks shortly after they hired his father as an assistant coach. “The only thing that I … didn’t like about the whole situation was when Mark said, ‘When the parents got involved, that’s when things got messy,’” Brunson said. “So that was the one thing that I was like, I kind of was like, ‘Damn that was a little jab.’” Cuban offered the following reply: “I apologize, if it put you in a certain way, that wasn’t the intention. But it was hard to deal with. It was a unique negotiation in a lot of different ways.”
The Cavaliers will hold their first week of training camp at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., according to a team press release. Cleveland will become the first NBA team to hold training camp at IMG Academy. It will also be the Cavaliers’ first remote training camp since preparing for the 2004/05 season at Capital University in Columbus, OH.

Knicks Notes: Roster, Robinson, Hartenstein, Toppin, Grimes

November 5th, 2022 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ reluctance to gamble on a big move this summer has left them with an imperfect roster and no star power to lean on, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. New York is off to a 4-5 start, but the wins came against three rebuilding teams and the shorthanded Sixers, while the losses were to probable playoff teams built around All-Stars.

The offseason was defined by an unwillingness to meet Utah’s price for Donovan Mitchell, who was subsequently traded to Cleveland. Coach Tom Thibodeau was a strong advocate for making the Mitchell trade, according to Popper, who hears from an NBA source that the Knicks had bad intel and believed the Cavs weren’t willing to give the Jazz everything they wanted. Knicks executive Brock Aller argued against giving up three unprotected first-round picks for Mitchell, Popper adds.

The Knicks were also in position to outbid Atlanta for Dejounte Murray, Popper contends. He cites recent mistakes such as signing Evan Fournier in 2021 when Thibodeau preferred to keep Reggie Bullock and taking Obi Toppin ahead of Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 draft.

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Thibodeau described the right knee sprain that center Mitchell Robinson suffered on Friday night as “mild,” per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Robinson will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days to determine when he can resume playing. The injury increases the value of offseason addition Isaiah Hartenstein, who is expected to be the starting center while Robinson is out. “He’s done everything that we were hopeful of, and we obviously studied him quite a bit,” Thibodeau said of Hartenstein. “The rim protection obviously has been very, very good. Pick-and-roll defense, very good. And then offensively, just to pull people away from the basket, play-make, very good passer. Good in the paint. And so I think as he gets more comfortable, you’ll see more and more from him.”
The Knicks are downplaying an argument during the fourth quarter of Friday’s game between Toppin and assistant coach Rick Brunson, Bondy states in the same story. They reportedly resolved their differences, and they have a solid relationship as Brunson trained Toppin while he was preparing for the draft. “Just normal NBA stuff,” Thibodeau said. “Heat of the battle.”
Quentin Grimes was held out of tonight’s game because of soreness in his left foot, the same issue that caused him to miss the season’s first six games, Bondy adds.

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Montero, Staff, Brunson

September 27th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau could end up on the hot seat if the team has another disappointing season, he says pressure is essentially not in his vocabulary as the franchise enters a pivotal year, Steve Popper of Newsday writes.

“I’ve never felt pressure, ever,” Thibodeau said. “See, when you put everything you have into your job, that’s all you can do. So I’ve never felt pressure. Others can say this, that. That ain’t happening here. Just get ready. I’ve been at this a long time. I approach it the same way. I put everything I have into each and every day. I’m willing to live with that result. There’s no one — no one — who studies this team harder than I do.”

Thibodeau has some financial security, having signed a five-year contract in 2020.

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While most teams entered training camp with a full 20-man roster, the Knicks are one player shy of the maximum. According to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter link), the possible reason is that they are hoping to reduce guard Jean Montero’s buyout with overseas club Gran Canaria. Montero impressed the Knicks, among others, during Summer League games. The Knicks reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Montero in June.
The team officially announced its coaching staff for this season, Begley tweets, including the additions of Rick Brunson and Othella Harrington. Johnnie Bryant is the associate head coach.
Regarding Rick Brunson, father of free agent signee Jalen Brunson, the team has declined to comment on whether there was an internal investigation regarding allegations of misconduct that led to his resignation from the Timberwolves staff in 2018. Thibodeau was somewhat vague when asked about the elder Brunson, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski and Fred Katz. “I’m not sure exactly of everything that was done, but I know whenever they hire anyone, they’re going to vet them,” he said, adding “I feel strongly about him.”

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Etienne, Harper, Draft

June 3rd, 2022 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was hired in 2020, wanted Rick Brunson on his staff from the beginning, one source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. However, some members of upper management had concerns about the circumstances of Brunson’s departure from Minnesota, Berman’s source said. The former Timberwolves assistant resigned after being accused of improper conduct toward women, though he and his lawyer denied any wrongdoing.

Although Brunson is now set to join Thibodeau’s staff in New York, it doesn’t sound like he intends to put the full-court press on his son Jalen Brunson, an unrestricted free agent this summer, to join him. According to Berman, Rick recently told a confidant that he just wants his son to sign the best deal he can, one representative of his market value.

Marc Stein reported today on Substack that there’s “no grave concern bubbling” in Dallas about the Knicks’ hiring of Rick Brunson, and Berman essentially says the same thing in his story. According to Berman, a source who recently spoke to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he’d be “shocked” if Dallas doesn’t re-sign Jalen Brunson.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Knicks have been busy conducting pre-draft workouts this week. According to Berman (Twitter links), Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), and Jordan Goldwire (Oklahoma) were among the prospects at the team’s facility on Wednesday, while Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse) and Andrew Jones (Texas) were among those who auditioned for the team on Thursday.
Rutgers forward Ron Harper Jr., the No. 57 prospect on ESPN’s big board, will work out for the Knicks on Saturday, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.
Several people in touch with the Knicks last month believe the team has interest trading up from No. 11 in the draft, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Knicks Hiring Rick Brunson As Assistant Coach

June 2nd, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Rick Brunson is finalizing a deal to become an assistant coach with the Knicks, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Brunson was formerly an assistant under Tom Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota, and has deep ties to the Knicks’ head coach, as Begley notes.

Brunson is the father of Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, whom the Knicks have reportedly expressed interest in. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the Mavs have repeatedly expressed optimism about re-signing him.

The elder Brunson played nine seasons in the NBA (from 1997-2006), and holds a total of seven seasons worth of experience as an assistant coach, with a couple of other stops in Denver and Charlotte. Brunson was also one of Leon Rose‘s first clients when he was an agent — Rose is now the president of the Knicks.

In 2018, Brunson resigned as an assistant for the Timberwolves after allegations of improper conduct toward women, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“We work to maintain high standards of conduct and expect our staff to lead by example. We did not believe Mr. Brunson’s conduct was consistent with those standards,” the team said, as part of a larger statement. Brunson and his lawyer denied any wrongdoing.

The 49-year-old has served as the head coach of Camden High School for the past three years, winning a New Jersey state championship in 2022. He’s known as a player development guru and will likely work regularly with the young players on New York’s roster.

Mavs’ Brunson Continues To Boost Value Ahead Of Free Agency

April 25th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

After enjoying the best year of his NBA career during the 2021/22 regular season, Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson has taken his game to another level so far in the playoffs, averaging 29.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.8 APG on .483/.409/.857 shooting in four games (38.5 MPG). He played a key role in helping Dallas take a 2-1 lead in the series without Luka Doncic before the All-NBA guard returned in Game 4.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, pro personnel scouts and executives polled by ESPN believe the floor for Brunson – an unrestricted free agent this summer – is now $20MM per year on his next contract. Some people believe the 25-year-old could get upwards of $25MM annually, MacMahon adds.

For his part, Brunson told ESPN that he isn’t thinking about his next contract with the Mavs engaged in a battle with the Jazz for a spot in the second round of the playoffs.

“Not at all. Not at all. I promise you,” Brunson said. “My dad, we’ll joke about it, but (my family knows) that I don’t want to talk about it until the season’s over. That’s really not going to help me right now. … I know it’s a weird situation. People don’t believe that I don’t talk about it, but it’s not a topic of conversation until I guess we get there.”

Brunson said he has “loved every second” of his time in Dallas, and it seems likely the Mavs will get the first shot at re-signing him. Although Brunson isn’t restricted, Dallas holds his Bird rights and can offer him more years and more money than any other suitor — additionally, team owner Mark Cuban has talked about wanting to lock up the point guard long-term. However, Brunson’s father Rick Brunson suggests the Mavs shouldn’t expect to get a team-friendly rate.

“We’ve got to figure out if Dallas wants him. Not words,” Rick Brunson said, per MacMahon. “Ain’t no discount. So don’t put it on us. Don’t tell me you love me. Show me.”

Here’s more on Brunson:

Brunson was eligible for a four-year, $55.6MM in-season extension in 2021/22, but the Mavericks didn’t offer it to him until after the trade deadline, according to MacMahon. By that point, Brunson had decided to wait until the offseason to sign a new deal. “I told him once the season is started, that’s it,” Rick Brunson said. “I told the Mavericks, ‘Once the season is started, there’s no contract talk,’ and I went back against my word. In January, I thought he did enough where he deserved (the extension). I said, ‘Hey, take the money, man.’ He wants security. He wants to live here. And (the Mavs) declined. He didn’t turn s–t down. Y’all declined first. When y’all came back to him (in February), we said, ‘Hey, we just want to finish out the season and go from there.'” Signing Brunson to a long-term extension in January would’ve made him ineligible to be traded this season, so the Mavs may have wanted to keep their options open.
The Pistons and Knicks are widely considered to be potential suitors for Brunson, as previous reported have indicated. League sources tell MacMahon that Detroit likes how Brunson fits alongside Doncic and believes he could play a similar role next to Cade Cunningham. Knicks president of basketball operations and former CAA agent Leon Rose, meanwhile, has several ties to the Brunson family — Rick was his first client and he previously represented Jalen. Now, Leon’s son Sam Rose is one of the agents who reps Jalen at CAA.
Despite those links to the Knicks, Rick Brunson insists the familial connections won’t be a deciding factor in his son’s free agency. “I’ve made it very clear to Leon, ‘I love you to death. Your son works for Jalen, represents Jalen, but this is about Jalen,'” Rick Brunson said. “… Leon wouldn’t never talk to me again (if Jalen signs elsewhere). The question I have, is it a good fit in New York? We don’t know, because we have to sit down and figure it out (and evaluate the) draft. July 1 is a long way away.”
Further complicating matters for the Knicks? League sources tell MacMahon that the Mavericks have no intention of accommodating a sign-and-trade scenario, so any team that wants to sign Brunson will likely need cap space to do so. That shouldn’t be a problem for the Pistons, but the Knicks would have to shed some salary to create cap room.
Interestingly, the Knicks had an opportunity to acquire Brunson in 2020, according to MacMahon, who says the Mavs were dangling a package of Brunson, the No. 18 overall pick, and the No. 31 overall pick that year in an effort to trade up for Tyrese Haliburton. Dallas was unable to find a taker, including the Knicks, who used the No. 8 pick that year on Obi Toppin.

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