The New York Knicks reportedly have interest in Dallas Mavericks reserve point guard Jalen Brunson, but the New York media is jumping the gun a little bit when it comes to when Brunson will actually be available in NBA Free Agency.
Here’s what the New York Post’s Marc Berman had to say on Saturday:
Let’s get it out of the way: Knicks president Leon Rose loves the son of his first client, ex-Knick Rick Brunson. Rose thinks the younger Brunson is a legitimate starting, playmaking point guard.
Now it’s up to Dallas’ new coach, Jason Kidd, to decide whether Brunson, a second-round pick out of Villanova, is the guy to build around and lock in long term. The Mavericks will exercise his team option for next season and can offer him an extension. If Kidd lowballs him, Brunson will decline and the Mavericks will be forced to trade him or risk losing Brunson to 2022 free agency.
The Knicks have Brunson on their radar. Thibodeau is a big fan of the lefty quarterback. Rick Brunson was on all of Thibodeau’s prior coaching staffs.
Here is our assessment of what was written by Mr. Berman there:
1) There is NO team option for Jalen Brunson this summer. The contract he signed as a rookie was a straight four-year deal with no options, which means there will no restricted free agency this summer or next. Next summer, Brunson will be an unrestricted free agent if he and the Mavs can’t come to terms on an extension between now and then. Yes, the final year doesn’t have to be guaranteed by Dallas, but since it’s not technically an ‘option’, not guaranteeing Brunson’s contract for next season would essentially be waiving him for nothing, which would be an extremely dumb thing to do. That’s not going to happen.
2) Why are they saying it’s Jason Kidd’s job to decide if Brunson is the guy to build around? He is the head coach, not the general manager, and will not be making those kind of decisions.
3) If the Knicks really want Brunson that bad, they will likely have to trade for him, because chances are, it’s going to be a while before he hits the free agency market. Given that the Mavs could use a frontcourt upgrade, how about a swap of Brunson for springy big man Mitchell Robinson? We think there could be a deal to be made there.
But short of that? It Is far more likely that the Mavericks not only retain Branson, but offer him an extension, than it is that some newspaper fantasy about his freedom magically comes true.
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