The Knicks have “legitimate optimism” about their chances of signing free agent point guard Jalen Brunson, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports, citing people in touch with the organization since the draft.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report conveyed a similar sentiment during his latest podcast, suggesting that the Knicks may have moved ahead of the Mavericks as the favorites to lock up Brunson long-term this offseason (hat tip to HoopsHype).
As Begley observes, the Knicks still have some work to do if they want to create the cap room necessary to make Brunson a strong offer — trading either Alec Burks or Nerlens Noel may be the most likely path to opening up that space.
Burks underwent foot surgery this spring after the Knicks’ season ended, and while that procedure has reportedly hurt his trade value, Begley says there are still multiple teams with some interest in the veteran guard, including the Celtics.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- Fred Katz of The Athletic spoke to 16 officials in NBA front offices to get a sense of how much they’d be willing to offer RJ Barrett in extension talks this offseason if they were running the Knicks. According to Katz, the responses ranged from $15-30MM per year, with no one saying they would go up to the max. A four-year, $100MM offer was the most-cited suggestion, Katz adds.
- In the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that restricted free agent center Nic Claxton appears likely to remain with the Nets (audio link via Jac Manuell of Nets Republic). “The word is amongst executives, I’ve talked to a couple of executives today who believe that Nic Claxton will be back with the Nets, that that’s been worked out,” Windhorst said. “I shouldn’t say it’s been worked out. There’s an understanding.”
- In the same podcast, Windhorst wondered whether or not the standoff between the Nets and Kyrie Irving has truly been put to bed after Irving announced he’ll pick up his player option for 2022/23. “I was told that the option pick-up came as a total surprise to the Nets, that they found out when everybody else did,” Windhorst said, per NetsDaily. “… The people that I talk to in the league are skeptical that Kyrie is going to be ‘all for one and one for all’ on this. … The people who are in the business to earn the business are telling me, ‘No, Kyrie actually has leverage here,’ because now he’s making the $36 million, he’s got his money and he can make life hell.”
- In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton considers what’s next for the Nets now that Irving has decided to opt in.
Kyrie has $200M reason to train, stay healthy, play well, and behave next season. No more free money.
I agree, if kyrie wasn’t gettin the max offer from the nets, and then was given permission to seek a sign and trade and by the end of the day picked up his option, I would deduct he realized no one is giving him long term with what happened over the last 3 seasons in Brooklyn added to his reputation after Cleveland and Boston exits…he has his great great great grand children’s generational wealth on the line this year
is brunson worth how hard the knicks are going for him? if im looking to build a championship roster, is brunson a key part to that?
He’s a key part of a playoff team but not THEE part of a championship team.
I can’t understand these reports about how hard they are working to lure Brunson. I really like him as a player but is not the answer for them. He can make them a 9-7# seed at best. And more than 25M per year seems like an overpay IMO
It’s hard to say if he’s definitively worth it. He’s undersized for to play good on ball D, but from I’ve watched he seems to be a good team defender. He doesn’t take chances and seems to be in the right spots at the right times.
On offense he’s a very efficient scorer. He doesn’t have great handles but he can get where he wants. He drives and finishes through contact which is special considering his size. He’s above average from deep and a good passer and screener.
No he’s not going to be the go to guy on a championship team but I believe he can be an effective PG and 2nd option with a bigger role than he’s had in Dallas.
Championship teams need secondary stars as well and it’s not like they’re breaking the bank and offering a four year max. With Brunson and Barrett in place the Knicks would be one step closer to being a competitive team.
But if Kyrie goes scorched earth this season on the nets and is a pain the rear the entire season, who, other than the lakers, is going to offer him a max next off season?
Nobody! But more than a couple teams will offer him at least 10mil per year. That’s why you take the guaranteed 36mil now, rather than take 6 from the Lakers. Kyrie gonna be Kyrie and affect his future earnings, so it was best to grab that 36 now.
@afsooner
I think we are getting a bit carried away with Kyrie’s actions vs choices. He didn’t get vaccine. That’s his personal choice. I didn’t agree but his choice. He was never a malcontent or anything like that. He didn’t pull off a “Harden and faked an injury”, he didn’t pull off an “Anthony Brown” and run around ripping his Jersey off and acting like a clown. He can become a “news/ social media/ talk show issue” but it’s never been “scotch the earth event,
He chose to not get vaccinated and it hurt the team. More than that, he acts like a diva and wants everything catered to him, he is very selfish when it comes to how he wants to be treated, he feels like the team is below him and can’t tell him what to do. Not exactly the kind of behavior u want to be setting an example
The only surprise about kyrie’s decision was that people were surprised he did something surprising.
Knicks already hired Jalen Brunson’s dad as an assistant. He’s going to be a knick and everyone knows it
I really dont understand the brunson stuff, kemba, noel and a future first for brogdon would have been easier.
The only way it makes ANY sense is if they have a trade in place for a star and we’re going to trade all those draft picks to get that star. Otherwise it’s another half step to lock in mediocrity.
20 years of the same stuff and the Knicks still don’t have a plan. A trio of Brunson, Barrett and Randle tops out at about 45 wins at the most.
Optimism is growing because the Knicks are now willing to vastly overpay out of desperation, as usual. When will they learn.