The New York Knicks are hiring their former backup point guard, Rick Brunson, as an assistant coach, according to SNY's Ian Begley. Brunson accepted the job after spending the past few years as the coach for Camden High School in New Jersey, but he has an extensive history on NBA benches.
Brunson has been an assistant with the Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats and Minnesota Timberwolves in the past, and he worked under current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau in both Chicago and Minnesota. Knicks president Leon Rose was Brunson's agent during his playing days. Brunson resigned from Minnesota's staff in 2018 due to allegations of harassment from several women. Brunson will replace former Knicks assistant Kenny Payne, who left New York to take the head coaching position at the University of Louisville.
Of course, regardless of Brunson's history with the principal figures in New York, there is naturally going to be some speculation about his relationship with a certain Dallas Mavericks point guard. His son, Jalen Brunson, was one of the breakout players of the postseason, and is now set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Rumors have linked the Knicks to Brunson for quite some time, and the presence of his father on their staff certainly won't hurt their chances of landing him.
Of course, the Mavericks have a significant advantage over the Knicks in one key respect: their Bird Rights will allow them to pay him anything up to his maximum salary. The Knicks are hovering around the projected cap number at this moment, and while they could clear enough space to pursue Brunson through trades, their best bet would likely be a sign-and-trade. Dallas would need to be heavily incentivized to participate in one. For that reason, the Mavericks are probably likelier to sign the young point guard than the Knicks are.
Rick Brunson is an experienced assistant coach whether or not his son is on the roster. If he helps bring his son to New York? That's just the cherry on top.
