NBA Free Agency is about to get underway and there are already some possible moves leaking. One of the biggest storylines of the next few days will be what happens with point guard Jalen Brunson.
For weeks, it sounded like Brunson would be returning to the Dallas Mavericks. He proved he was an integral part of their rotation during the postseason and Mark Cuban said they will do whatever they can to retain him.
But, the New York Knicks remained, lurking as a potential landing spot. They have been linked to Brunson for a while and were always going to be there until the end. Then, the 2022 NBA Draft came along and things started to shift.
The Knicks were able to make three trades during the first round. All in all, they traded Kemba Walker, the No. 11 overall pick and four future second-round picks and acquired three future first-round picks between deals with the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The possibility of Brunson leaving Dallas for New York was becoming real. Leon Rose opened up a ton of cap space and cleared, even more, when he traded Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks to the Pistons, along with two second-round picks and $6 million.
LATEST NBA FREE AGENCY NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Jalen Brunson’s Free Agency Market Zeroes In On New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks
While the odds of Brunson landing with New York have skyrocketed, they will still have some competition for him once free agency starts. According to Yahoo Sports, the aforementioned Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks will be meeting with Brunson but a third team has emerged; the Miami Heat.
Some people believed Brunson was only taking meetings to avoid any tampering charges being brought upon the New York Knicks, but it is hard to imagine that Cuban or Pat Riley would take part in a dog and pony show that’s a facade, especially to help the Knicks.
LATEST NBA FREE AGENCY NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Jalen Brunson’s Free Agency Market Zeroes In On New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks
If they are taking meetings with Jalen Brunson, they must feel like they have a chance of convincing him to either remain in Dallas or change plans and head to South Beach to join the Miami Heat. New York sounds like the favorite, but they still have some work cut out for them.
