Report: Knicks expected to land Mavericks' Jalen Brunson on four-year deal
Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson is expected to be one of the top players on the market when NBA free agency begins Thursday, but his destination may already be decided. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, it's "widely anticipated" that Brunson will join the New York Knicks on a four-year deal in excess of $100 million.
Brunson, 25, was a second-round pick in 2018 and has been a rising star during his time with the Dallas Mavericks. In the 2021-22 regular season, Brunson averaged a career-best 16.3 points with 4.8 assists. He stepped up his play in the postseason, averaging 21.6 points per game during the Mavericks' run to the Western Conference finals.
In a six-game victory over the Utah Jazz in the first round, Brunson was a breakout star with Luka Doncic out of action. Brunson averaged 27.8 points per game during the series and dropped a career-high 41 points in a Game 2 win.
In May, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison called the retention of Brunson the team's "top priority" in the offseason, but no deal has come to fruition.
The Knicks traded away point guard Kemba Walker earlier in the offseason and were without Derrick Rose for the majority of the 2021-22 season due to an ankle injury.
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