Why Are The Knicks So Interested In Jalen Brunson?

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Knicks plan on offering free agent Jalen Brunson a 4-Year, $110 million contract. But what about the former Mavericks’ point guard is making him so sought after by New York?

Despite being the A.P. Player of the Year his final season at Villanova, the lefty guard went in the second round, thus only granting Dallas team control in his first four years.

After three years of progressive growth, Brunson had a breakout year in 2021-22. Averaging 16.3 points per game with a .549 effective field goal percentage, Brunson became the second-option to Luka Doncic after Kristaps Porzingis was traded.

Thus, Brunson has become the ultimate example of playing yourself into a better contract, as he transitioned from a potential six-man to a franchise centerpiece in the eyes of the bidding teams. Especially in the eyes of the Knicks.

The Knicks ended the 2021 season about $5 million over the salary cap. After an eventful Draft Day that saw them unload players like Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel.

If New York decides to waive veteran forward Taj Gibson, then they would have added collectively $18 million to their free-agent spending limits, which might all be going into Brunson’s pocket.

Now, with only Mitchell Robinson and Ryan Arcidiacono left as their unrestricted free agents, it might be a quick and short free agency for the Knicks, that ends with more losses than additions.

But signing Brunson could be significant. Depending on the year-to-year breakdown of the deal, $27.5 million would shatter the highest AAV ever given out by the Knicks, which was once held by Carmelo Anthony in 2016 ($24.6 million).

So, what makes the 16.3 point per game, 4.8 assists per game guard so valuable to General Manager Scott Perry? The absence of a star at the position in the Perry era.

Since Perry has taken the position, the list of point guards is as follows: Jarrett Jack (7.5 ppg, 5.6 apg), Emmanuel Mudiay (8.8 ppg, 3.9 apg), Frank Ntilikina (6.3 ppg, 3.0 apg), Elfrid Payton (10.1 ppg, 3.2 apg), and Alec Burks (11.7 ppg, 3.0 apg).

While Brunson’s 2021-22 numbers don’t blow any of the others off the page, Perry believes that Brunson not only can turn the position from a weak point to one of the top threats in the starting five, but also hopes to solidify the position with a multi-year deal.

The other aspect that makes Brunson so appealing was his numbers in the postseason.

For the Mavericks’ Western Conference Finals run, Brunson posted 21.6 points a night on 47% shooting with 3.7 assists, a steal, and just over 1 turnover per contest.

The other key to this production is that it came alongside Doncic, whose ball dominance makes his numbers even more notable.

Doncic has the highest usage percentage in NBA history, which meant that even as the primary point guard, Brunson did not nearly have the offense running through as Doncic did.

While his ability to run the offense may be a question mark for his next landing spot, he’s proven to be a net positive on the floor while allowing other volume shooters to score as well, which would be ideal for the current Knicks roster.

New York had a deep offensive attack in 2021, with 7 different players averaging double-figures. If Julius Randle and RJ Barrett remain on the team next year, Brunson may be one of the best point guard options to facilitate for them and score at a high level.

As guard dominance continues to be a trend in the NBA, the Knicks has been on the outside looking in on this strategy. Perry believes that the stock is only rising on Brunson, which can potentially allow the Knicks to round out their team into a postseason contender.