The New York Knicks have been questioned about whether they tampered with former Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson ahead of NBA free agency. If they do, the Knicks may face NBA repercussions for tampering with the signing of Brunson.
People around the league “expect the Knicks to get dinged for tampering” after signing the 25-year-old Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract before the legal period opened last week, while he was still tied to Dallas, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
“Knicks are expected to be penalized for tampering regarding their agreement with Jalen Brunson,” said Fred Katz.
According to NBC News, the story has many facets, with the Knicks’ top management using their personal networking connections to persuade Brunson to sign a contract with the New York team.
The Knicks have hired Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, as an assistant coach. Knicks president Leon Rose, a longtime friend of the Brunsons, and his son, Sam Rose, who also serves as Jalen Brunson’s agent, were among those allegedly involved. Several Knicks executives, as well as Knicks forward Julius Randle, were reportedly in Dallas during the Mavericks’ playoff game against the Jazz.
Tampering appears to be a league tradition that dates back decades. The Heat’s tampering cost Pat Riley and the Knicks the chance to win multiple NBA titles. They will pay fines, give up the second-round pick, or do whatever it takes to move on from Jalen Brunson’s scandal.
Mavericks frustrated with the Knicks’ behavior
The Mavericks are “quite frustrated” with the New York Knicks right now, according to The Athletic, because the agreement may have gone through while Brunson was still playing for Dallas and not yet permitted to speak with New York.
“From what I’ve gathered, the Mavericks are quite frustrated with the Knicks and not just because reports of a finished deal came out before New York was even allowed to speak with Brunson,” Katz stated in his piece.
The Mavericks were also irked when Knicks executive William “World Wide Wes” Wesley showed up courtside during a playoff game against the Jazz.
The Knicks would not be the first team in recent years to face punishment for tampering. The NBA docked the Milwaukee Bucks a second-round pick shortly after their failed sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings for Bodgan Bogdanovic in 2020. Both the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat had been sanctioned the last offseason for tampering with Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry.
If the Knicks tampered with Brunson during their playoff series against the Utah Jazz, they may have breached the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is intended to prevent teams from engaging in illegal behavior while they are still competing. However, it is also feasible that the Knicks did not approach Brunson at all during the playoffs, as having their execs in Dallas during the playoffs is the only proof that they attempted to contact him.
Brunson, a two-time Villanova champion, is a left-handed point guard who uses angles to compensate for his lack of elite athletic ability. Among NBA guards last season, he had the fourth-best scoring average in the paint (51.4), the fifth-best in the closed area (67.2), the eighth-best on midrange shots (47.3), and the third-best on corner 3s (50.0). It’s no surprise that everyone desires him. He’s an outstanding player.
According to NBC News, his departure would be tough for Dallas, as the Mavericks would only be able to find a suitable replacement using the taxpayer mid-level exception. This means they may be unable to lure a player of Brunson’s caliber.