New York Knicks are considered strong favorites to pick Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson in free agency, sources say

The New York Knicks are considered strong favorites to pick up Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson in free agency, sources told ESPN.

It is widely expected that Brunson will agree to a four-year deal worth over $ 100 million to sign with the Knicks shortly after the free agency opens Thursday night, league sources said.

New York, who traded No. 11 senior pick and point guard Kemba Walker on draft night, would have to make at least one extra move to create the necessary wage cap to sign Brunson to such a contract. Mavs could choose to pursue a sign-and-trade in an attempt to recoup assets with Brunson’s expected departure.

Brunson, 25, comes after a breakout season where he averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists, and established himself as Dallas’ No. 2 option behind All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, his 2018 draft- classmate after joining the starting lineup on a full-time basis in December.

Brunson helped lead the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years, averaging 21.6 points in the playoffs, highlighted by 41- and 31-point performances in first-round wins over the Utah Jazz, while Doncic was put on the sidelines. of a strained calf.

Mavs governor Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison ranked Brunson as the franchise’s top off-season priority in the wake of the playoffs. Sources said the Mavs are willing to give Brunson a five-year contract – which only Dallas can offer due to having his Bird rights – comparable to the four-year, $ 85 million contract guard Fred VanVleet signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2020.

Brunson, an unlimited free agent because the fourth season of his rookie deal was not guaranteed instead of a team option, rejected Mavs’ offer of a $ 55.5 million four-year contract extension after the trade deadline when Dallas striker Dorian Finney-Smith signed an identical agreement. At the time, Brunson was confident he would earn significantly more as a free agent.

Brunson had informed Mavs in January that he was willing to sign the extension if it was offered at the time, his father Rick Brunson told ESPN during the playoffs. Dallas made the calculated decision to postpone the discussions until after the trade deadline if the Mavs had the opportunity to trade for a star, as an extension would have prevented Brunson from being eligible to be traded before the deadline.

New York had long been expected to emerge as a threat to lure Brunson away from the Mavericks largely because of the Knicks’ deep ties to the Brunson family. Knicks president Leon Rose, a prominent former agent, has known Brunson all his life. Rose’s first player client was Rick Brunson, and Rose represented Jalen Brunson at the beginning of his career. The Knicks agreed to hire Rick Brunson as assistant coach this summer, reuniting him with head coach Tom Thibodeau, who also served as assistant to the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Knicks may also offer Brunson the opportunity to be their primary playmaker, as opposed to exposing to a multi-year MVP candidate in Dallas.

“It fits well [in Dallas]”But in the end, my son is no different than the next man,” Rick Brunson told ESPN in April. I do not care who you are. Everyone wants that feeling, ‘Hey, I can do this too.’ I do not always think that the grass is greener on the other side, but we sit down this summer and review all the advantages and disadvantages of staying here or going somewhere else.