The New York Knicks were one of the big winners during NBA free agency this offseason as they signed point guard Jalen Brunson away from the Dallas Mavericks. They have had a hole at the point guard position for years, as they started wing Alec Burks there for a majority of the 2021-22 season because of injuries or the ineffectiveness of Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose.
Brunson is a big upgrade for them. People will debate whether or not he is worth the four-year, $110 million deal that he signed. Given where the Knicks have been when it comes to point guard, it will be worth every penny.
However, it could ultimately cost them more than just money. The NBA has begun investigating the Knicks for alleged tampering when it comes to the signing of Brunson, which a source of The Athletic confirmed following the report first surfacing from Yahoo Sports.
Just a few months ago, it seemed like there was no chance of Brunson leaving Dallas, but the Mavericks viewed it as a certainty that he would be signing with the Knicks before free agency began.
A lot had to occur for the Knicks to have the cap space to sign him, as they executed two trades involving the Detroit Pistons. The first was a three-team deal that also included the Charlotte Hornets on draft night in which Walker ended up in Detroit. The second one saw veterans Burks and Nerlens Noel also end up in Detroit, along with two future second-round picks and $6 million.
Clearing Walker, Burks and Noel from the roster provided New York with the cap space to outright sign Brunson away from the Mavericks. The question, at least from the NBA’s perspective, was what motivated the Knicks to make those moves?
Making salary cap space is a welcomed practice in the NBA, but is there any evidence of wrongdoing when it comes to how they handled things? A New York contingent showing up to a first-round matchup between the Mavericks and Utah Jazz in the postseason is something they could look into as potential tampering.
Alas, it will be difficult to find concrete evidence, which is what the league needs as they won’t punish based on what they think happened. Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, was hired as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau’s staff this offseason. Knicks president Leon Rose is reportedly Brunson’s godfather.
Last year, the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls were each docked a second-round pick after investigations were held looking into their acquisitions of Kyle Lowry and Lonzo Ball. However, no blanket punishments exist, so each case is judged on an individual basis. The Milwaukee Bucks were also docked a second-round pick for the Bogdan Bogdanovic debacle in 2020.
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