New York Knicks replace Jalen Brunson’s father with former LA Lakers staffer

Chris Jent, who was with the Charlotte Hornets, is set to become the New York Knicks’ new associate head coach, according to a report from Shams Charania.

Jent steps into a role that has seen a bit of turnover recently. Rick Brunson held it last season before moving on, and before him, Johnny Bryant had the job until he joined Kenny Atkinson’s staff with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Charlotte Hornets assistant Chris Jent is finalizing a deal to become the associate head coach of the New York Knicks under Mike Brown, sources tell ESPN.

“New York and Tyler Glass of CSE Talent negotiated terms for Jent, who returns to Knicks where he spent 1996-97 as a player.”

Jent has been around the league for quite some time. He played for the Knicks during the 1996-97 season and even won an NBA title with Houston back in 1994 – coincidentally against New York.

Jalen Brunson may not be happy with Rick Brunson’s new role

Chris Jent’s appointment was largely driven by Mike Brown. After joining the Knicks, Brown and the front office reportedly chose to bring in a new associate head coach to avoid any potential conflicts of interest, given that Rick Brunson’s son is a key player on the roster.

According to The New York Post: “Mike Brown is expected to hire a new associate head coach, The Post has learned, a move that will change the dynamics in front of the Knicks bench by giving Rick Brunson a lesser role.

“It’s viewed as a gesture by the organization to give Brown more control while simultaneously addressing the distractions or perceptions of conflicts of interest that arose last season by having the star player’s father as the top assistant.”

The decision could potentially cause some tension between Jalen Brunson and the organisation. Even though he spoke highly of Brown before he took over in New York, this move might not sit well with him now.

Rick Brunson played a significant role in bringing Jalen to New York back in 2022. With these changes taking place under Mike Brown, it will be worth keeping an eye on how Jalen responds heading into next season.