Can Knicks Offer Jalen Brunson Something Mavs Can't?
When it comes to NBA free agency, everyone is fully aware of the New York Knicks' interest in Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson. The Knicks could use a young guard of Brunson's caliber to lead them into the future, but it continues to look like they'll be fighting an uphill battle in trying to persuade him to leave Dallas.
The Mavericks' top priority in the offseason will be to retain Brunson. There will be no shortage of teams interested in pursuing him, including the Knicks. However, no team other than the Mavericks can offer a five-year deal, and they can exceed the salary cap using Bird rights to re-sign him.
According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, there is a "growing sense" around the NBA that Brunson will return to the Mavericks after their run to the Western Conference Finals. His projected annual salary is expected to exceed $20 million with the potential to reach upwards of $25 million.
In the meantime, there's a growing sense among league personnel that Jalen Brunson will return to Dallas following the Mavericks' sprint to the Western Conference Finals.
There's a lot for the Mavericks to like about Brunson's trajectory under head coach Jason Kidd. He emerged as the full-time starting point guard midseason and could look to build upon a season with averages of 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 2022-23 as Luka Doncic's backcourt partner.
Although it's unlikely to happen, Fischer does see advantage the Knicks could have in a potential free agency pitch:
But the Knicks can propose something to Brunson that Dallas cannot: an unquestioned role as the starting point guard and lead ball-handler. In Dallas, he will always serve as Luka Doncic's sidekick. The same would be the case in Detroit, where the Pistons are said to envision Brunson as a similar counterpart to Cade Cunningham. If Brunson desires to be the true table-setter of a team's offense, that would seem to be the one bird in New York's hand.
If the Knicks were fortunate enough to get Brunson's attention, they would either need to facilitate a sign-and-trade to acquire Brunson or clear sufficient cap space to outright sign him. A sign-and-trade would require the Mavericks' cooperation, which they likely would not oblige.
The main threat to sign Brunson outright appears to be the Detroit Pistons due to their surpluses of salary cap space and a need to add a secondary ball-handler next to Cade Cunningham. However, they are limited to offering a four-year deal and would need to convince Brunson to depart from a more winning team.
Other possible suitors linked to Brunson have been linked, including the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards. Much like the Pistons, it isn't easy to envision either team having a more appealing basketball situation than the Mavericks.
The Mavericks must find avenues to improve their roster if they do retain Brunson. Experiencing internal development is always one way to improve, but they will be focused on making an upgrade at the center position.
