Is Jalen Brunson the Right PG Target for Knicks amid Free-Agency Rumors?
The New York Knicks' search for a quality point guard continues.
New York reportedly tried to acquire Purdue product Jaden Ivey during the draft, but that didn't pan out. Instead, it traded the 11th overall pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, acquired and dealt 13th pick Jalen Duren and sent Kemba Walker—along with Duren—to the Detroit Pistons.
Now, it appears the Knicks will attempt to go all-in on impending free agent and Dallas Mavericks standout Jalen Brunson to fill their need at point guard.
"Rival NBA executives around the league believe the New York Knicks are 'all in' to try and sign guard Jalen Brunson in free agency this summer following their draft night trades with more moves expected," Michael Scotto of HoopsHype wrote.
Landing Brunson won't be easy. It will likely require a further clearing of cap space and the ability to convince him to leave Dallas. Scotto noted that New York could waive Taj Gibson in an effort to clear more cap room for the 25-year-old.
Brunson isn't the only option for filling the point-guard void, though. Considering what it may cost to acquire him, it's worth wondering if he really should be New York's top choice.
Below, you'll find a look at the pros and cons of chasing Brunson and some of the other top PG options the Knicks have this offseason.
Malcolm Brogdon
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The Indiana Pacers are likely to trade Malcolm Brogdon this offseason, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Aside from Brunson—and players facing option decisions like Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook—he might be New York's best option for finding a point guard.
Brogdon has averaged a solid 15.5 points and 4.8 assists in his career while shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range.
However, there are significant risks to this acquisition. For starters, injuries have been a problem for the 29-year-old dating back to the 2017-18 season. He has played in 60 games only once since then and was limited to 36 appearances by an Achilles issue this past season.
The Knicks would also have to part with some sort of player or trade capital to land Brogdon, which potentially costs them more than signing a free agent like Brunson would. Plus, it's not as if New York would be adding a terrific contract situation.
Brogdon is set to carry a cap hit of $22.6 million this season, the last on his current deal. That's less than Brunson is likely to earn on the open market but it's far from a bargain-basement price.
And, should Brodgon stay healthy and play well with a different team, he'll be eying his own pricey extension in 2023.
While Brogdon is a viable option for the Knicks, he should be considered more of a Plan B than a top choice.
Ricky Rubio
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When looking purely at unrestricted free agents, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Ricky Rubio may be the top option behind Brunson.
Frank Urbina of HoopsHype ranked the 31-year-old as the 18th-best 2022 free agent and the No. 4 point guard behind Irving, Brunson and Westbrook.
In many ways, Rubio should be viewed as a solid fallback option—but again, not a top choice.
While the Spaniard did play well with the Cleveland Cavaliers this past season, averaging 13.1 points and 6.6. assists, he also tore his ACL in December. This means he may not be ready to start the season or to handle an extensive workload once healthy enough to return. As a short-term stopgap, his value is uncertain.
At 31, Rubio may not be viewed as a prime long-term building block either.
The Knicks should view him as a potential two- or three-year addition who can provide quality play at the point in a rotational role. His cost, however, may outweigh his value to New York, as the Cavaliers are "very much interested" in bringing back Rubio, according to The Athletic's Jason Lloyd.
If other teams, including Cleveland, are high on Rubio, the Knicks are unlikely to get a true team-friendly bargain.
Jalen Brunson
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We've already established that Brunson appears to be New York's top target as free agency approaches. The question is whether he should be. The short answer to that is yes.
From an on-court perspective, the Villanova product is the best option the Knicks have this offseason. He's a budding star who averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds this past season while shooting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Unlike Brogdon and Rubio, Brunson doesn't carry any tangible injury concerns, either. He's played at least 68 games in three of his four seasons and appeared in 79 this past year.
The one concern with Brunson is his price point. According to NBA insider Marc Stein (h/t Jasmyn Wimbish of CBS Sports), the Knicks are prepared to offer him a four-year, $100 million deal. That—along with the familiarity of having his father, Rick Brunson, on the Knicks staff and former agent Leon Rose heading the organization—may be enough to entice him.
However, making that offer may require parting with more pieces to clear cap. Scotto mentioned Reddish as a potential cap casualty and also noted that New York included Alec Burks in early trade offers.
Tearing down the supporting cast isn't ideal, but it would make sense for New York. Brunson is only 25 and can be a long-term centerpiece alongside RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. Armed with 11 first-round and 11 second-round picks in the next seven drafts, the Knicks should have plenty of ammunition with which to build around their core.
None of this means New York will land Brunson, of course. A return to Dallas is still entirely possible, and other teams will surely be in the mix. Until he has put pen to paper elsewhere, though, he is the right option to be the Knicks' first choice at point guard in 2022.
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