If the NBA Finals are in full swing after the big Game 1 on Thursday evening, summer is coming quickly and the Free Agency will obviously be closely followed as every year. Among the big fish to go fishing? Jalen Brunson, whose dad has just joined the… Knicks. What does it mean ?
Those who have followed the NBA for at least two decades have probably heard the name Rick Brunson. From the late 1990s to the first part of the 2000s, Jalen’s father was himself an NBA player despite the fact that he was not drafted in 1995. He notably wore the jersey of the Blazers, the Knicks , Bulls, Clippers and Rockets, without ever really making a real place for themselves in the League. It was then by sitting on the benches that he stayed in touch with the NBA, he who took the costume of assistant coach in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte and Minnesota. And with the Bulls as with the Wolves, he played alongside a certain Tom Thibodeau, coach of the Bulls (2010-15) then the Wolves (2016-19). Today at the Knicks, Tom is about to work with Rick again (according CUT), whom he has known since the latter wore the colors of New York (2000-01) and Houston (2006) when Thibodeau was himself an assistant coach. So many connections that lead us to think that this arrival of dad Brunson has nothing to do with the status of his son Jalen, free agent this summer. According to l’insider Marc SteinThibodeau was interested in bringing Rick from the moment he took charge of the Knicks in 2020, and the Mavericks are not today worried about the impact of this arrival on the future of their back.
But inevitably, impossible for us not to make the link. The Knicks – keen to bounce back next year after this year’s very disappointing campaign – are known to be interested in the profile of the Dallas player, who can theoretically sign wherever he wants given his contract is ending and the Mavs can’t line up if they leave. A scenario that wants to avoid the owner of the Mavs Mark Cuban, who recalled following the elimination of his team in the Western Conference Finals that Texas franchise can offer Brunson more dollars than anyone. For the record, Dallas has the advantage of being able to offer a five-year deal to Brunson at the Free Agency, while other NBA franchises wishing to see him move are limited to four. How much can he get on his next contract? Given what Jalen has shown in the entire Playoffs (21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, over 46% shooting success), he will come to the negotiating table with a lot of arguments and could aim – if we are to believe current rumors – in the 20 to 25 million dollars in annual salary. As Marc Stein points out, at the time of these lines the Knicks are not in a financial position to offer such a contract to Brunson, unless they go through the sign-and-trade box.
In their desire to surround Luka Doncic well and after the superb course of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Mavericks will do what is necessary to convince Jalen Brunson to extend his adventure in Texas. And Rick at the Knicks or not, we’d honestly be quite surprised to see Jalen packing his bags this summer.
Source texts: SNY, Marc Stein