Jalen Brunson is the primary target for the New York Knicks, and currently, they are in a great position to sign the Mavs star.
The New York Knicks are actively pursuing Jalen Brunson, which is widely known. The Knicks are letting go of guys to make room in their salary cap for Brunson, the free-agent star of the Dallas Mavericks.
Both parties are interested in one another, thus it is highly likely that Brunson will play in MSG next season, in front of the boisterous Knicks fans. In order to acquire Brunson, the Knicks also nearly forfeited the 2022 NBA Draft.
According to ESPN, “The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks to the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks will unload $19 million more in salary with the deal, clearing the cap space needed to sign Brunson. Sources said New York will also send Detroit back its 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick via Miami (top-55 protected), and $6 million.”
With all this cap space on their roster, the Knicks have put them in the best place to land Brunson. Their offer might just be way too much for the Mavs, which is why Brunson is likely to be in New York next season.
There is a wide sense around the league that Jalen Brunson would love to be the focal point of a team. On the Mavs, he isn’t the focal point because of Luka Doncic. As a result, a move to the Knicks makes sense for him.
According to Chris Haynes: “I’ve talked to people in his circle who think he has another level to reach that he just couldn’t reach with Dallas because he played with the most ball-dominant player in the league.”
Due to all these factors, we can see Brunson leaving the Mavericks to join RJ Barrett and play for the New York Knicks. It would be a good move for the Knicks, but the Mavs will need to find a replacement soon.
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