At approximately 5:15pm est, It being reported that Jalen Brunson intends to sign a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks at the start of free agency today. The deeper contract details are that the deal also includes certain incentives as well.
Jalen Brunson’s agent, Drew Morrison of CAA, called him after the team’s season ended, and Morrison told him to take time off before they began seriously contemplating his future. That time is now decided with Jalen Brunson becoming a New York Knicks.
The 25-year-old playoff sensation wasn’t the biggest name/player to hit free agency this offseason, but he was one of the bigger wild cards, the Knicks are risking a lot on a player like Jalen Brunson but his potential made the move much easier to decide for the New York franchise.
Creator: Gregory Payan | Credit: AP Copyright: Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Sifting through all the Jalen Brunson-Knicks connections, there’s a reason why this move made sense from the very beginning. For example: Rick Brunson, Jalen’s dad, played 69 games for Knicks. Rick’s agent was Leon Rose, now president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks. In just late may, The New York Knicks recently hired R. Brunson as an assistant coach in June – so it was a move that was destined to happen this offseason and a move that made the most sense, financially and with family involved.
Jalen Brunson averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 79 appearances for the 2021-2022 NBA season. He also shot 50.2 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The 2022 playoffs was where the young Jalen Brunson made his big money at: Averaging 27.8 points in Dallas’ first-round win over the Utah Jazz. With Doncic out injured, his 41 points propelled the Mavs to a 110-104 Game 2 victory.
In terms of betting odds, Knicks Finals odds before this move: +10000. Brunson didn’t move the needle much as the Knicks NBA Finals odds after this move were still +10000.
There’s no bigger, better stage to prove people wrong than in Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks haven’t won the NBA Finals since 1973, if Jalen Brunson can win a title with the New York Knicks during his four-year stay, he’d be bigger than Elvis – more to come as NBA free agency progress.
