Jalen Brunson Tampering Investigation: Mavs Gain … What?

What’s in it for the “wronged team” to watch as the “guilty team” is “punished”?

DALLAS - From very early on in the process of the New York Knicks getting cozy with Jalen Brunson, the Dallas Mavs moaned about the (obvious)? tampering occurring right under their noses.

Now comes word that there is an "excellent chance" that the Knicks will be investigated for tampering in the Brunson signing.

Yay!

But … why?

Meaning, “why” from a Mavs standpoint? What’s in it for the “wronged team” to watch as the “guilty team” is “punished”?

It is alleged that native New Yorker Brunson, whose father was recently hired by the organization, was invited by the Knicks to agree to a deal before the official opening of the free agency window during which they could legally negotiate a contract.

In an effort to put a blanket over that, we’ll suggest that the Knicks somehow coerced ESPN into reporting on a “first meeting” between Brunson and the Knicks … an odd facade that should fool nobody.

Brunson became a standout in Dallas despite being just a second-round pick out of Villanova, this year emerging as arguably the Mavs’ second-most productive player behind All-NBA star Luka Doncic.

Brunson, who recently praised New York for knowing how to best use him while having described the Knicks as "one big family for me," eventually (and officially) signed a four-year, $104 million deal.

Mavs sources immediately brought up the tampering concept as soon as the Knicks’ flirtations with Brunson became apparent, team owner Mark Cuban later sarcastically pretending Dallas believes no lines were crossed.

"No, they were perfect. I saw nothing wrong at all," said Cuban, while also congratulating Brunson on getting what he “deserves. … That's just the business, that's just the way it works ... that's not my job to determine. That's up to the NBA. It is what it is, it's done."

The Knicks are probably not overly concerned about the ramifications of an investigation, knowing that the last time the NBA found a team guilty of violating tampering rules, the Chicago Bulls lost only a second-round pick after the acquisition of Lonzo Ball via a sign-and-trade.

So the guilty Knicks will lose little. And the “victimized” Mavs will gain nothing. What, then, is the point of a team like the Mavs ever complaining and what is the point of a team like the Knicks ever complying?