The New York Knicks are going to search high and low for a point guard this NBA offseason. It is something that has evaded them for years and needs to be addressed if they want any chance of turning things around and becoming consistent playoff contenders.
There are a few players that will be available this offseason that they will set their sights on. Reportedly atop that list is Jalen Brunson of the Dallas Mavericks.
Brunson has broken out during the 2021-22 season, putting up career numbers across the board. He stepped up in a big way whenever Luka Doncic was sidelined and performed so well that he remained a fixture in the starting lineup even after Doncic was healthy enough to return.
New York has been connected to Brunson for over a year, as he has a lot of ties to the organization. Team president Leon Rose and head coach Tom Thibodeau both think highly of him and have relationships with his father, Rick Brunson.
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They would love to add him to the roster this offseason, but that is easier said than done. As shared by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the New York Knicks would have to make a lot of moves to be able to outright sign Jalen Brunson in free agency.
“The Knicks offering a comparable four-year rate would require notable cap-sheet changes. They already came close to sending out Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel at February’s trade deadline to clear salary for a run at Brunson. At this point in the NBA calendar, to move off unwanted contracts, league executives believe New York would have to trade either the No. 11 pick in June’s draft or promising point guard Immanuel Quickley to entice a rival team to take on any long-term salary.”
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Knowing how badly they need a point guard, it would not be surprising to see the New York Knicks be active during the NBA Draft to try and swing a deal to create cap space. However, doing so is a risky proposition because there is no guarantee that they land Jalen Brunson anyway.
Trading away the No. 11 pick or Immanuel Quickley just to have the chance of signing Brunson seems like a short-sighted deal to make. Unless trading those assets results in a starting point guard being acquired as part of the return package, the Knicks should not go down that avenue.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Malcolm Brogdon Emerging As Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Backup Plan?
Jalen Brunson would certainly help New York as the starting point guard, but that is a steep price to pay. They wouldn’t trade Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Quickley and/or the No. 11 pick to the Mavericks for Brunson, so why do it just to have the cap space to potentially sign him away from Dallas in free agency?
