NBA Free Agency starts tomorrow and the New York Knicks are tied to Jalen Brunson and re-signing Mitchell Robinson.
During his April interview with Mike Breen, Leon Rose preached patience with the direction of a New York Knicks team that had just finished a disappointing season. Rose touted his many draft picks and said he wouldn’t deviate from his original plan.
Some NBA teams believe it’s best to throw excrement at the wall and hope something sticks. But, conversely, the Knicks prefer a clean wall to display their detailed plans.
Rose and his acolytes communicated those plans loud and clear on draft night (without actually saying anything), which is that this team is focused on signing Jalen Brunson.
Rose had to make the cap space to sign his boy. So first, it was moving Kemba Walker’s contract — he was traded to the Pistons on draft night. Then it was Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel — who were also jettisoned into Detroit’s cap space.
Now, all eyes are on Brunson.
The Chosen One
The Rose and Brunson families are close. Leon Rose’s first client was Rick Brunson (Jalen’s father), and Rick played for the Knicks when Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach. Rick would later become an assistant coach under Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota, and now he was recently hired as an assistant coach in New York.
Eyebrows were raised at Chris Haynes’ tweet saying that the Knicks are prepared to offer Brunson a deal in the vicinity of four years, $110 million.
Rose has moved heaven and earth (some picks who wouldn’t have played and vets who probably shouldn’t) to sign Jalen to what is likely to be a $100+ million contract. Still, it’s fair to question if Rose would be going to these lengths if the circumstances (and the last name) were different.
How many other teams would do this much work to sign a guy who isn’t even top 10 at his position? Brunson supporters would point to Terry Rozier’s contract (kind of mean to Terry) and tell you that Brunson’s projected salary still wouldn’t make him one of the ten highest point guards in the league next season.
Maybe the Knicks are just doing something good. Look at this tweet from cap expert Keith Smith. The Knicks have been signing good team-friendly deals since Rose took over. Brunson’s relationship with Rose is another reason to suggest this should be another.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported that some members of the Knicks “have said that they see Brunson as an important potential addition to their process, but they aren’t of the belief that he would singularly turn the franchise around.” That’s nice to hear because the public pressure on this kid will be enormous. Probably the most pressure on any Knick since Carmelo Anthony.
But none of this means Jalen Brunson wouldn’t be fantastic for the Knicks. It would be unfair not to point out how damn good the 25-year-old was this season. He turned himself from a second-round pick into one of the league’s most sought-after free agents. So the Knicks are in no position to turn up their nose at talent — perceived nepotism or not.
Brunson averaged career-highs in all the big ones: minutes (31.9), points (16.8), and assists (4.8). His shots went up, but his shooting percentages didn’t suffer.
Many have already brought up Jalen’s relentless attacking of the basket and how great an asset it will be to RJ Barrett. Brunson averaged 13.6 drives per game last season. Barrett led the Knicks (12.6) while his teammate Julius Randle averaged just 9 per Second Spectrum.
It’s Cleaning the Glass time. Brunson was in the 93rd percentile last season (for combo guards) in finishing around the rim. That number isn’t an aberration – he was in the 91st percentile in the 2020-21 season.
Now get ready to go bananas. Jalen’s numbers from the midrange and the corners are insane too. He’s converted 50 percent of his midrange attempts (all two-point shots not at the rim) in back-to-back seasons, putting him in the 91st and 89th percentile.
He made 47 percent of his corner threes (an extremely high percentile) last season and 51 percent (another really high percentile) in 2021-22. Hopefully, you get the point.
Rose recruiting Jalen Brunson isn’t just a family reunion in New York. Brunson takes good shots, and he makes them (which this team needs).
He made his bones in Dallas’ first-round win against the Utah Jazz. He averaged 27.8 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting — including a 41-point stunner in a Luka-less Game 2 win.
The Knicks have their point guard. But he may not be coming to New York alone.
What About Mitchell Robinson?
The ease with which Mitchell Robinson scores around the basket is an asset, but his most outstanding value is found in other areas.
Mitch finished fourth in the NBA in blocks and second in offensive rebound percentage last season. When he’s on, few players are better at what he can do. Robinson wants to be paid like the historically efficient rebounding machine many Knicks fans view him as.
In a recent report, Jake Fischer stated, “It’s believed Mitchell Robinson will return to New York on a four-year deal that nears $60 million in total earnings.” Guaranteeing that big a number goes against everything this front office has done up until this point. Expect that deal to include incentives and or a team option.
There are still concerns about Mitch. The contrast between his defensive and offensive rebounding is alarming and his inability to set a screen or make a free throw could hurt his long-term value. Still, he’s very young and worth it for the Knicks to bring back at this projected number.
When the Knicks passed on big man Jalen Duren in the draft it seemed clear that Mitch was coming back. With a wildcard like Mitch, nothing is certain but all signs point to Mitch re-signing.
Conclusion
NBA free agency isn’t the driving force behind building a championship team anymore. Most star players prefer to feign happiness before signing a max extension and forcing their way to a team of their choice later (*cough* Bradley Beal *cough*).
Nobody knows this better than former super agent Rose. He knows that signing Brunson is just the beginning. He also knows that signing a free agent of Brunson’s caliber to New York, especially a point guard, is an incredible coup.
Free agency has long been a thorn in the side of the New York Knicks. The media is always quick to revel in their failed pursuit of star players.
But the Knicks are finally making the right moves. They have a savvy POBO who isn’t just crossing his fingers and hoping to get his guy.
After two years of laying in wait, Leon Rose is putting his plan into action. He’s found a point guard for the Knicks. This was his plan all along, right?
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out Alex Trataros, Geoff Campbell, and Alex Wolfe on Knicks Weekly!
